With the sporting strength shown by Quezon City, Manila and host Marikina, National Capital Region can rest assured of its lofty place in the POC-PSC Batang Pinoy 2012.
The top three local government units dominated most of the 13 events during the week-long NCR leg at the Marikina Sports Complex which kicked off this year’s Batang Pinoy program.
Marikina ruled track and field with most gold medals at 23-12-12, while Quezon City was dominant in swimming with 23-23-13. But Manila was second placer in terms of golds won in both of the centerpiece events.
PSC commissioner in charge Jolly Gomez said that though they were expecting a bigger turnout, the more than 1,000 registrants was more than last year’s.
Most of the sports played in the NCR leg were qualifying for the national finals slated in Iloilo City in December, except for judo and volleyball.
In terms of total medals won, Quezon City and Manila were locked in battle for supremacy with the former ended up having the edge with a 47-66-58 tally as against the capital’s 46-43-39.
Gomez lauded the LGUs which committed their young athletes to the NCR leg despite that fact that some schools hesitated in sending out student who missed classes during the recent rainy spell.
“The good thing about it is that those with dedication and serious sports program showed up and competed,” said Gomez who also expressed delight over the new talents who emerged from the NCR leg.
That includes QC’s swimming pair of Kirsten Chloe Daos and Raissa Regatta Gavino who won six golds each, Manila’s explosive band of tracksters led by five-gold winners Vicente Nabong and Resty Lorenzo, Taguig’s sprints princess Ginelli Gatinga, and Marikina’s jumper Lierence Sayenga.
The next leg will be held Oct. 10 to 13 in Pangasinan for the Northern Luzon qualifying, to be followed by the Southern Luzon leg on Oct. 24 to 27 in Calapan, Mindoro. Mindanao leg will be in Cagayan de Oro on Nov. 7 to 10, Visayas in Tacloban on Nov. 21 to24, while the nationals finals will be on Dec. 5 to 8 in Iloilo City.