QC Batang Olympics a huge success - Belmonte

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. declared Wednesday that the local government-initiated first QC Batang Olympics was a grand success, with a number of promising athletes discovered during the meet.

The awarding ceremonies, held at the Amoranto Sports Complex on Roces Avenue, were attended by some 3,000 youth from the city’s 142 barangays.

Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, who expressed gratitude to the Mayor for sanctioning the sports project, assisted Belmonte during the awarding rites.

"The city’s version of Summer Olympics was initiated primarily to inculcate the values of teamwork, collegiality, and sportsmanship among city residents, particularly the youth," Belmonte said.

"It was also designed to engage the youth in sports activities to keep them away from juvenile delinquency and vices such as alcohol and prohibited drugs, gambling, and other social menaces," he added.

Apart from this, Belmonte said the sportsfest has strengthened inter-barangay relations. Events competed in were in basketball, volleyball, table tennis, swimming, athletics, karatedo, taekwondo, and cycling.

Bautista admitted though that the first meet, which began last April 21, had encountered some minor hitches along the way, especially in basketball tournament.

"Like any other, the first time is always painful and we learn something from it. But generally, everything went on fine and successfully. We were able to pinpoint potential athletes for the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy at the end of the year," Bautista said.

"Tuloy-tuloy na ito next year, the year after, and so on," he added.