NANJING – Pakakawalan ngayong gabi ang ikalawang Asian Youth Games kung saan 54 Filipino athletes ang makikipag-agawan ng medalya mula sa mga atleta ng 43 pang bansa.
Imbes na gamitin ang isang 62,000 Olympic Stadium, ang opening at closing ceremony ay idaraos sa city gymnasium.
Ang event ay matatapos sa Agosto 24.
Tanging 11 sa mga Filipino athletes kasama si chef-de-mission Tac Padilla ang makakasama sa parada sa ganap na alas-5 ng hapon.
“We support simplicity,†sabi ni Ji Jianye, ang chief ng organizing committee para sa 2nd AYG na inilunsad sa Singapore noong 2009.
Ang AYG ay para sa mga atletang may edad na 14 hanggang 17-anyos.
“We consider this a very good exposure for our young athletes because here they will face quality opponents whom they will go up against in the future,†wika ni Padilla.
Noong 2009, nag-uwi ang Philippine team ng isang silver medal sa women’s javelin mula kay Stephanie Cimato at isang bronze medal sa bowling (masters) galing kay Colins Jose.
Sasabak ang mga Filipino athletes sa athletics, badminton, basketball (3-on-3), fencing, golf, judo, rugby, shooting, swimming, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo at weightlifting. Wala namang lahok ang bansa sa handball, football at squash.
Ang mga Filipino athletes ay sina Kyla Richardson, Kayla Richardson, Mary Anthony Diesto at Emily Jean Obiena (athletics); Joella de Vera, Mark Shelley Alcala at Alvin Morada (badminton); George Go, Patrick Ramirez at Andrei Caracut (basketball); Divine Romero, Christian Concepcion at Gerardo Hernandez (fencing); Clare Legaspi, Princess Superal, Gabriel Tomas Manotoc at Rupert Zaragosa (golf); Miam Salvador, Floyd Derek Rillera, Jann Ken Raquepo at Renzo Miguel Cazenas (judo); Terry Boy Cayetano, Jonel Madrona, Kingsley Ballesteros, Greg George Maleval, Juliann Viktor Feleo, Joshua Whyte, Naimar Candelaria, Andrew Holgate, Albert Rano, Racel Naevasa at Miguel Francis Ayala (rugby), Amparo Acuna, Celdon Arellano, Enrique Gazmin, Ma. Sophia Graciela Reyes at Angela Dimaculangan (shooting); Kirsten Daos, Roxanne Ashley Yu, Raphael Sta. Maria, Ariana Herranz, Jethro Roberts Chua, Jeremy Bryan Lim at Catherine Bondad (aquatics); Jurence Zosimo Mendoza (tennis); Ryan Rodney Jacolo, Emy Rose Dael, Jamaica Dianne Sy at Vince Oliva (table tennis); Francis Aaron at Pauline Lonise (taekwondo) at Margaret Colinia, Elien Rose Perez at Marko Llena (weightlifting).