Manila Games draws large youth response

Organizers of the second Manila Youth Games (MYG) said turnout for the Manila Games had exceeded expectations, as they expressed amazement over the enthusiasm being stirred by the big city games a month before opening day on April 6.

"The early turnout is getting to be really amazing. Right when the registry books were opened last week, we started to anticipate a big turnout," said Arnold "Ali" Atienza, chairman of the MASCO, Manila City Hall’s sports arm.

Practically all 895 barangays in Manila, as well as 130 public and private schools are well represented in the MYG, which will have the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as the main hub of competitions with the nearby San Andres Gym and Luneta Ball park as satellite venues.

The MYG, which has gained the backing of the Philippine Sports Commission, caters to kids aged 12 and below, the same age group prescribed by the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy. About 4,000 children-athletes, coaches and officials saw action in the inaugural staging of the MYG last year.

The inclusion of the 13-15 age bracket in this year’s edition is expected to at least double this figure, an indication, Atienza said, that Manileños are well aware about the importance of sports and physical fitness.

Besides youth, the MASCO has also put premium on sports that could potentially provide initial steps to producing Filipino world champions.

Fourteen sports have been calendared in the second MYG–athletics, badminton, chess, dancesports, football, gymnastics, baseball, softball, swimming, table tennis, lawn tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and paralympics.

Certified technical officials from various national sports associations will supervise the competitions, according to Atienza, a gold medal winner in the 1994 Asian Taekwondo Championships.

"This is to guarantee that the kids, who are only 15 or younger, are well taken care of despite the expectedly heated competition in the second MYG," he said.

The weeklong games will kick off with a festive opening ceremony on April 6 at the Rizal Memorial Track Stadium, with the inclusion of a cheering competition which is expected to perk up the event as one of the liveliest sports gatherings this year.

Meanwhile, 14-year old Rochelle Lavalan and 13-year-old Paolo Angeles, both products of the MASCO, have become hits in the ongoing US Open Taekwondo Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada by outclassing all their opponents to win the gold in the finweight and bantamweight divisions, respectively Rotrice Lavalan, 12, settled for the bronze in the finweight class.

The US Open joust, held Feb. 20-26, has attracted the best jins in the world. Manila has four members of its team in the RP age group contingent consisting of the Lavalan sisters, Angeles, and Eric de Jesus.