The 2022 Batang Pinoy Games will return in a hybrid setup in Vigan City late this year, offering a total of 17 events for the youth after three years of inactivity due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The national competition, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, will end the registration on Sept. 15 for the multisport event which opted to scrap several contact sports to put premium on the safety of the participants.
According to Batang Pinoy national secretariat head Jonjon Fortaleza, the tournament will focus on individual and non-combat sports in order to push through with the in-person staging of the sports fest from Dec. 4 to 10.
“Para matuloy o magkaroon tayo ng Batang Pinoy for this year, lahat ng mga contact sport ay sinet aside po muna namin. Para makasiguro kami na matuloy ang Batang Pinoy,” Fortaleza told the PSC Hour on Friday, Sept. 2.
Combative sports such as arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, muay, pencak silat, taekwondo, and wushu will still be included in the event through the virtual competition.
“Doon naman sa mga combative sports, nakita namin na meron pala siyang form na discipline na pwede siyang idaan sa virtual competition. That’s why hindi pa rin nawala ‘yong mga combative sports kaya lang in a different discipline which is form and substance,” added Fortaleza.
The virtual events will be held in October through pre-recorded presentations. (Nikole Javier)