A bigger, better and modern Batang Pinoy takes the spotlight when General Santos City hosts the 2025 edition in October, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said yesterday.

The PSC said that the school-based meet for athletes no older than 17 years old will “implement innovations that will best serve all the delegates,” project director Nino Deo Urquiaga told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Conference Hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Also gracing the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 app ArenaPlus, were PSC chairman Richard Bachmann and other key PSC officials.

“Our main objective for this year’s Batang Pinoy is to provide the delegates an excellent experience as if they are competing in a global level of competition,” said Bachmann, adding that success would mean “seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants.”

Among the innovations for the event that offers action in 27 sports are the QR code system for the schedules and results, adjusting the age limit based on the sport, and providing better transportation for the delegates by providing E-jeepneys during their stay in the country’s tuna capital.

From 14,000 participants last year in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, the PSC and the host province expect over 15,000 to vie in aquatics, archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, futsal, gymnastics, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, karate, muay, pencak silat, sepak takraw, soft tennis, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

The PSC technical working group recently sat down with General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao, and conducted an ocular inspection of the venues.

“We are so lucky that the government of General Santos City is just as excited,” added Urquiaga.