YOUNG athletes are the focus of the Batang Pinoy which starts today at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TAGUM CITY – The best athletes from Mindanao take centerstage as the 2019 Batang Pinoy fires off Sunday at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in this sun-baked city.

A total of 729 competitors from as far as Cotabato, Zamboanga, and Tawi-Tawi are seeing action in this multi-sport competition for young athletes 15-years old and below.

Reigning champion Davao City, which is more than an hour’s drive away, has the largest number of contingent with 171 athletes while Zamboanga and Pagadian cities deployed 159 and 146 athletes, respectively.

They will vie for a total of 765 gold, 765 silver and 1,063 bronze medals as well as for the golden chance of seeing action in the national finals set in either Tagbilaran City or Ormoc City this October.

Centerpiece sports athletics and swimming stake the largest number of gold medals while action in archery, badminton, basketball, volleyball, boxing, chess, karatedo, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and lawn tennis are tipped to be intense as well.

“After months of preparation, I can say that we’re finally ready to hold the Mindanao leg of Batang Pinoy,” said Ramirez, adding that they will come up with cash incentives for winning athletes and local government units.

“We thank everybody, especially the local government units, for their support. We’re looking forward to a successful staging of this tournament,” he added.

Ramirez will join Education Sec. Leonor Briones, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Interior Sec. Roberto Ano and Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario in gracing the simple yet colorful opening ceremonies set at 3 p.m.

Duterte-Carpio, the Presidential daughter, will deliver the keynote address while del Rosario will declare the formal opening of this multi-sport athletic conclave backed by STI College-Tagum and Alfalink Total Solutions Corp.

Formerly known as the Philippine National Youth Games, the Batang Pinoy is an integral part of the PSC’s grassroots sports program.

It produced a score of national team members, including Olympians Hidilyn Diaz and Nestor Colonia of weightlifting and Jessie Lacuna of swimming as well as Southeast Asian Games stalwarts Carlo Paalam and Rogen Ladon of boxing and Caloy Yulo of gymnastics.

Last year, Davao City emerged victorious with 54 gold, 29 silver and 25 bronze medals while rival General Santos City clinched 50 gold, 52 silver and 56 bronze medals in the Mindanao leg.

But in the national finals in Baguio City, Karl Yulo, the younger brother of Caloy stole the show, as he plucked seven gold medals while Italy-based cyclist Nicole Marie del Rosario captured four mints to underscore the successful staging of this tourney.