By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. touted this year’s edition of Palarong Pambansa as it features several “firsts” in the national sporting competition.
In a speech during the sporting event’s opening ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center on Tuesday, President Marcos said athletes from the National Academy of Sports and from Philippine overseas schools will debut in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa.
Also making their debut in the Palaro are the games of soft tennis, karatedo, football for secondary girls, and e-sports. Dancesport will also become a regular category for the games moving forward.
Marcos said this year’s national sporting event will integrate technology and social media live streaming to provide updates and data regarding the sports competition.
“It will not only connect [these] games to families and fans around the world but also provide valuable data that we can use to improve [our] performance in future competitions,” he said.
Regarded as the country’s pinnacle of national sporting events, the President noted that the Palarong Pambansa is more than just an inter-school and inter-regional competition.
“It is also a platform where we discover, where we develop, and [where we] hone future professional athletes, Olympians, and servant-leaders,” he said.
“Of the athletes competing in this year’s Palarong Pambansa, I am certain [that] many will become record holders and champions in their respective fields, not only at the national level but I’m sure, also internationally,” he added.
More than the sports, the event will also display the athletes’ values and virtues that are integral to nation-building, such as excellence, teamwork, discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship.
“Today, we continue this important legacy, celebrating not just the games but also celebrating the unity, the camaraderie, and the national pride that these games inspire,” the Chief Executive said.
“Let this week-long competition showcase not only the mental and physical fortitude of our athletes, but also the fortitude and strength of the Filipino heart and the Filipino spirit,” he added.
Featuring multi-level scholastic competition among elementary and secondary student-athletes not only from all 17 regions of the country but also from the National Academy of Sports and Philippine schools overseas, the Palarong Pambansa 2024 runs from July 6 to 17. – iro
