Cebu to Host 2015 Batang Pinoy National Championships on Nov. 27-Dec. 2

Some 5,000 young athletes and officials from all over the country will converge in Cebu City for the 2015 Batang Pinoy National Championship from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2.

The local organizing committee spearheaded by Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman Edward Hayco asked the tournament managers and school principals, as well as the support groups, to give the athletes from the different parts of the country a rare experience, which makes Cebu one of the most sought-after hosts in multi-event tournaments in the country.

“Please try to give our visiting athletes, coaches and officials a welcome that five-star hotels can give. Let’s try to give them the best-ever hosting experience they’ll ever had,” Hayco said.

”We will welcome them, fetch them from the port, let’s make them feel important. A little thing that will make them feel comfortable is what we will try to provide to them,” Hayco told the school principals of the billeting schools during the 1st Batang Pinoy General Meeting held at the Belly Dancing Room of the Cebu City Sports Center on Tuesday.

Cebu City is expecting more than 5,000 athletes and officials to the Cebu National Finals, which will be co-hosted by the Province of Cebu, Mandaue City and Danao City.

A total of 16 events will be held in Cebu City, including athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, futsal, handball, karatedo, lawn tennis, rugby football, sepak takraw, soft-tennis, swimming, taekwondo, volleyball and wushu.

Cebu Province will host table tennis and dance sports. Mandaue City will have arnis, weightlifting, wrestling and pencak silat, while Danao City will host the 3-on-3 basketball, cycling, softball and triathlon events.

Five events already have their national finals – archery, baseball, billiards, fencing, judo and muay thai, in Malolos City, Bulacan last July.

Cebu City already pocketed 14 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals in archery and muay thai finals in Malolos.

Overall, the Cebu City Sports Commission has allocated PhP 5 million for this event, with PhP 3.2 million for the hosting itself and PhP 1.8 million for the Team Cebu City athletes.

The Cebu Provincial Capitol, Mandaue City and Danao City will be spending for their own hosting.

CCSC manager and event manager Ricky Ballesteros promised to provide a grand yet simple opening rites, which will be highlighted by fireworks display.

“Modesty aside, Cebu City has been the standard of a good opening ceremony. The Milo Olympics was all praises in our hosting of the national finals. This time, we will have a modest but a spectacular opening ceremony with a theme ‘Tara Na Pilipinas… Sayaw na Cebu.’ We will pick three schools from the Cebu City division’s ground demonstration participants, the University of Cebu Dance company and our top dance contingents to perform on the opening ceremony. We will have a different kind of flag-raising ceremony and a simple fireworks display to top it all,” Ballesteros said.

The delegates are expected to arrive on Nov. 24 and are scheduled to leave on Dec. 2. (PNA) SCS/EB/MP/MSS