Newly-appointed Manila Sports Council (MASCO) chairman Dale Evangelista is determined to lead the Big City delegates to a strong performance in the Batang Pinoy in General Santos City from 25 to 31 October.

The 46-year-old Evangelista said he will use his experience as former national team member in inspiring the Manila athletes to do well in the prestigious grassroots event that is organized by the Philippine Sports Commission for athletes 17 years old and below.

Despite access to facilities and quality training, Manila doesn’t fare prominently in the Batang Pinoy. In fact, in the last year’s edition in Puerto Princesa City, the athletes from the nation’s capital got overwhelmed by those from overall champion Pasig City, who dethroned Baguio City with 105 gold, 64 silver and 116 bronze medals.

Evangelista, who used to skipper the national water polo team, said they want to flip the script and contend prominently, especially in centerpiece swimming where a lot of gold medals are at stake.

“For now, our first step, of course, is the Batang Pinoy. We know that Manila is not in the Top 30 in the past. If you want to join the Batang Pinoy, you want to win and get medals,” Evangelista told hosts Mark Escarlote and Jason Mago during Off the Court — the online sports show of DAILY TRIBUNE — on Thursday.

“We’ll start with swimming and water polo and other sports.”

To do that, Evangelista has to work hard to give Manila athletes access to sports facilities.

For one, he recently met newly-appointed Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio to discuss how can the Manila athletes train at the Rizal Memorial Aquatic Center.

“Right now, the facilities are exclusive to national team members. But we’re discussing how we can train there since it’s already in the City of Manila,” Evangelista said, adding that they will also rehabilitate some existing government sports facilities and make it accessible to everyone.

“We have sports complexes, but we’re rehabilitating via the Public Recreation Bureau so that when we start using it, it will be good.”

Evangelista said his marching order from Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is not just to win but also to develop champions in the future that would be in the same class as Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, who cut his teeth in the streets of Malate district.

“The program he wants, he doesn’t just want to produce grassroots athletes. He wants to produce world champions and Olympians from the city of Manila,” Evangelista said.