NATIONAL ATHLETES. Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella (3rd from left) with the medalists during the Asian Youth and Junior Championships in India on Aug. 6, 2023. Puentebella asked the Philippine Sports Commission to allow national athletes to represent their respective local government unit in the joint Batang Pinoy and Philippine National Games competition next month. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president Monico Puentevella is appealing to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to allow national athletes to represent their respective local government unit sLGU) in the joint Batang Pinoy (BP) and Philippine National Games (PNG) competition next month.
The general rule of the tournament provides that "participation of athletes who are members of the National Training Pool (NTP) is optional on the part of the National Sports Associations (NSAs). If an NSA would allow its NTP athletes to participate, they will be classified as NTP in the medal tally, and NOT be allowed to represent any LGU (local government unit)."
Puentevella wrote to PSC chairperson Richard Bachmann on Thursday requesting for reconsideration on the policy of the two tournaments to be held simultaneously from Dec. 17 to 22 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
He noted that national athletes coming from the provinces and cities will have to shoulder their expenses personally if the LGUs will not help them come to Manila.
"PSC will definitely save more if LGUs are allowed to help our athletes who are mostly not from Metro Manila. Most will not participate if they have to spend personally for competing in these national grassroots programs," said Puentevella, who conceptualized and initiated the Batang Pinoy when he was PSC commissioner in 2000.
"National athletes joining both events from LGUs become our benchmarks for competition against newcomers who aspire to challenge them and eventually become members of the national team if and when they upset our NTPs. This is how we discover and identify our future elite athletes," he said.
"Our Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn (Diaz) and potential Paris Olympians Sarno, Ramos, Ando, Macrohon, Fabuar, et al representing their LGUs are all discoveries from Batang Pinoy. Let everyone compete against each other and give pride to their LGUs. This is how we entice LGUs to support and spend for them and respectively give pride to their cities and municipalities. And for aspiring kids to compete against the best. As long as they qualify. Please do not deprive them the ultimate challenge for kids and teenagers. Our future," said Puentevella.
The two PSC-organized tournaments will feature 20 disciplines: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball 3x3, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, esports, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, beach volleyball, weightlifting and wushu.
The PNG, for athletes 18 years old and above, was declared the country’s centerpiece sports program through Executive Order No. 163 in 1994, while the Batang Pinoy, for athletes 17 years old and below, was created through Executive Order No. 44 in 1998. (PNA)
