12,000 student athletes head to Antique for Palarong Pambansa 2017

Over 12,000 delegates from private and public elementary and secondary schools are expected to participate at the Palarong Pambansa 2017, set to open on Sunday.

Student athletes and their entourage began heading to Antique early April to participate in the week-long festivities organized by the Department of Education (DepEd), anchored on the theme "Converge Youth Power, Builds Sustainable Future."

"We have been preparing extensively for the past few months — technically and physically. We have inspected sporting venues and billeting areas. It is now all systems go for the Palarong Pambansa," Asec. Tonisito Umali explained.

"We are expecting to have over 12,000 delegates to participate in this year's Palaro, excluding sponsors, and visitors and guests," added Umali.

Palarong Pambansa will be held from April 23 to April 29, 2017 at the EBJ Sports Complex in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

The elementary division has 15 events: arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and volleyball.

Secondary-level students have  21 events: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, billiard, futsal, wrestling, and wushu.

Wushu, wrestling, futsal, and billiards were added this year.

Demonstration sports include pencak silat, aerobic gymnastics, and dance sports, while para games are goalball, bocce, athletics, and swimming.

Palarong Pambata aims to promote "physical education and sports as an integral part of the Basic Education for holistic development of the youth"; "inculcate the spirit of discipline, teamwork, excellence, fair play, solidarity, sportsmanship, and other values inherent in sports"; and "promote and achieve peace by means of sports".

It also serves to create an athletes roster to the national sports association for international competitions and provide a database that will "serve as basis to further improve the school sports development programs." — Rie Takumi / AT, GMA News