THE podium finishers in the 16-17 years old category of the road cycling competitions of the 2024 Batang Pinoy that starts this weekend in Puerto Princesa City will get priority slots on the national junior team to the 31st Asian Junior Road Cycling Championships in Thailand in February.

Philippine Olympic Committee Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, head of the national federation for cycling PhilCycling, also announced on Sunday that the 2025 National Championships for Road is set February 24 to 28 in Tagaytay City and provinces in Cavite Province’s Eighth District primarily Ternate and Maragondon.

Thailand is hosting from February 7 1o 16 next year’s Asian championships—organized annually by the Asian Cycling Confederation—that also includes the 44th championships for elite and under-23 and the 13th staging of the para championships.

The PhilCycling again intends to send a full contingent to the Thailand championships just like in this year’s edition in Kazakhstan last June.

At least one slot each in the national junior team for boys and girls in individual time trial (ITT) and individual road race (IRR or massed start) to the Asian championships will be up for grabs in the Batang Pinoy.

The ITT events are set on November 26 and the IRR on November 27 with both events featuring both the start and finish lines inside the Iwahig Penal Colony—known world-wide as the “Prison Without Walls.”

Parents or guardians of participants in Batang Pinoy cycling are advised to secure passports for their athletes for the smooth processing of their registration—upon the approval of an Evaluation Committee created by the PhilCycling—for the Asian championships

Criterium is not in the Asian championships program.
For the National Championships for Road, the Criterium and ITT will still be staged around the Tagaytay City Atrium and in the Lian-Tuy national highway in Batangas, but the roads in Agoncillo, Laurel and Talisay leading to the Sampaloc or Sungay climbs will be shelved next year.

The Criterium races for the 2025 road nationals will be on February 24, ITT on February 25 and the road races dor Men Junior on February 26, Men Under-23 and Women Elite on February 27 and Men Elite on February 28.

MANILA – With just under three weeks to go before the 2024 Batang Pinoy, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has confirmed that all preparations are in the final stages for the highly anticipated event.

Scheduled from November 23-28 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the grassroots sports competition will bring together around 12,000 young athletes from across the country.

During a forum hosted by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) on November 5, PSC Executive Director Paolo Tatad reassured attendees that only minor details remain as the PSC fine-tunes its plans for the event, which serves as the nation’s premier youth sports tournament.

“We’ve completed most of the planning and coordination. Now we’re just ironing out the final details. We’re in the finish line of our preparations,” Tatad said.

The event, which will feature 30 sports, will see athletes aged 12-17 years compete for a total of 1,554 gold medals. The tournament marks the 25th anniversary of Batang Pinoy, which was first held in 1999.

Delegation and Event Logistics

Delegation registration meetings for local government units (LGUs) from the Visayas and Mindanao will run through November 7, following successful coordination with LGUs from Luzon and the National Capital Region (NCR) last week. A total of 177 LGUs are expected to send participants, with an additional 1,000 technical officials involved in the event.

Delegates will be accommodated in 29 different schools across Puerto Princesa, which have the capacity to house up to 15,000 people. A team of 650 volunteers has also been recruited to assist with event operations.

New Sports and Exciting Additions

Tatad highlighted several exciting developments for this year’s event, including the return of soft tennis and the elevation of obstacle sports from a demonstration event to a regular competition. Other new sports featured include jiu-jitsu and kurash, both making their debut in Batang Pinoy.

The competition will be divided into three age categories: 12-13 years, 14-15 years, and 16-17 years. Athletes will compete in a wide range of events across all the accredited sports.

Tatad also confirmed that while gymnastics will remain part of the event, its competitions will be held in Manila, rather than Puerto Princesa.

Gratitude to Local Hosts

Tatad expressed his appreciation to the local government of Puerto Princesa City, recognizing the city’s long history of hosting successful sporting events. “Palawan is not new when it comes to hosting sports tournaments, and we’re grateful for their support in hosting Batang Pinoy,” he remarked.

Following Batang Pinoy, Palawan will also host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games from December 1-5, further solidifying its role as a key destination for national and international sporting events.

Looking Ahead: A Legacy of Youth Sports Development

“Batang Pinoy is here to stay,” Tatad emphasized. “It’s a program that not only exposes young athletes to competition but also provides them with the platform to showcase their talents. As long as the PSC is here, Batang Pinoy will continue to thrive, supported by local governments, families, and most importantly, our young athletes.”

The event’s staging in Puerto Princesa is a fitting celebration of Batang Pinoy’s silver anniversary, underscoring the program’s long-term impact on sports development for the youth of the Philippines.

ia/mnm