National Games formally kicks off

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  - The present crop of finest athletes and the future of sports battle it out in 34 disciplines as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) National Games opened yesterday at the Bacolod City Government Center.

The National Games is considered the biggest gathering of elite athletes from all over the country in a race to represent the Philippines in future international tournaments.

“A national championship for all sports, National Games serves as a ground to discover new and promising sports talents as well as for the selection of possible members of the national pool who shall represent the country in international competitions such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games,” PSC chairman Ricardo "Ritchie" Garcia said.

“For the first time, the annual tournaments of various National Sports Associations (NSAs) have been synchronized and are held in one province, thereby magnifying the impact of each and every game,” POC chairman Monico Puentevella said.

PSC Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez said a total of 696 athletes and coaches will see action in the week-long sports conclave.

Among the events to be contested in Bacolod City are badminton, beach volleyball, billiards, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, judo, karatedo, lawn tennis, motorcycle sports, sailing, soft tennis, swimming, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wind surfing and wrestling.

Bago City will play host to kayak, wall climbing, dragon boat race, muaythai, and wushu. Road cycling, futsal, football, penkak silat, softball and table tennis will be staged in Talisay City, while archery, arnis, sepak takraw and triathlon will be played in Silay.

“We believe this will be a major boost for Philippine sports,” said POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

The multi-event athletic meet that will run until May 29 is a revival of the 1997 Philippines National Games (PNG) spearheaded by the PSC in Cebu City in 1997. (FREEMAN)