Dumaguete officials are gearing up for the hosting of six national sporting events beginning this month.
City Information Officer Dems Rey Demecillo on Monday said the first event will be the Little League Philippines Series on April 4-12.
Around 60 baseball and softball teams from different cities and provinces, including home team Dumaguete, or more than a thousand players aged 11 to 16 will be competing in six divisions, Demecillo added.
District Administrator Atty. Jolly Gomez informed Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo that the winners earn the right to represent the country in the 2017 Asia-Pacific Tournament.
Games will be played at the Perdices Coliseum, the RUSI Ballfield in barangay Daro, the Montesorri field, and the SU Cimafranca Ballfield.
Also, Dumaguete is this year’s preferred venue for the national archery competitions slated April 5 to 9, especially as Dumaguete is known for producing national and international archery champions.
On April 6 to 8, hundreds of paddlers from across the country will be taking part in the Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge at the Rizal Boulevard.
Another event is the annual national Frisbee ultimate championship with hundreds of frisbee players converging in Dumaguete. The date has yet to be set.
Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission Chairn William Ramirez informed Mayor Remollo that Dumaguete has been selected to co-host the Visayas Games edition of the Philippine National Games on June 19-24, and Batang Pinoy on June 26-July 1.
The Philippine National Games will serve as the qualifying tournament for the national pool of athletes.
Batang Pinoy are competitive games for the out-of-school youth who may also represent the country in various sporting events.
Demecillo said Mayor Remollo has mobilized all concerned agencies and readied funds to support the successful hosting of these sports events that boost the local economy and “reinforce the growing credentials of Dumaguete as a sports tourism destination of choice”. (PNA) JFP
