LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Pangasinan’s Provincial Sports Development and Management Council (PSDMC) has assured the safety of the 241 athletes, coaches and other delegates of Team Pangasinan, who are in Baguio City for the “Batang Pinoy” national finals since Wednesday.
PSDMC executive officer Modesto Operania, in an interview on Sunday, said the Pangasinense delegates are all safe and sound amid the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong in Baguio City on Friday and Saturday.
“Team Pangasinan are staying at Baguio City National High School as their billeting area, and they are all safe and secured,” Operania said.
He recalled that the athletes and trainer-coaches were sent off by the provincial government on September 12.
Later that day, however, the organizers announced that the sporting event’s opening was moved to Sept. 17 instead of Sept. 15 due to the typhoon.
“They have started training again today (Sunday) at Baguio City, where they are now, in preparation for the upcoming sports competition,” Operania said.
Meanwhile, Operania is confident that Team Pangasinan will give a good fight during the Batang Pinoy national finals owing to the 16-day in-house training of the athletes, which was sponsored by the provincial government.
The athletes will compete in 18 sporting events — archery, arnis, athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, karatedo, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, cycling, wrestling, wushu, futsal, and gymnastics.
Dagupan City’s Balon Dagupan Team has pulled out from the Batang Pinoy due to the venue’s high safety risk after it was struck by “Ompong”. (Hilda Austria/PNA)
