By REYNALD MAGALLON
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The 2025 Batang Pinoy opening ceremony became a colorful celebration of the vibrant and diverse culture of the country at the Antonio Acharon Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 25 here.
No less than the host’s very own Manny Pacquiao and first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz led the lighting of the torch for the national grassroots competition that gathered 18,927 athletes and 4,363 coaches from 188 participating local government units.
They will be competing in 27 sports which will be facilitated by 1,260 officials during the week-long competitions across the General Santos City.
With a grassroots program this big, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio expressed his hopes of developing the next Olympians for the upcoming Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and in Brisbane in 2032.
“In the next five days, you will compete at ito lang ang mensahe ko sa inyong lahat, ang sabi ni chairman Pato, from grassroots to gold, from gold to greatness,” said Gregorio.
“Dapat sa 2028 Olympics sa LA, sa 2032 Olympics sa Brisbane, ang susunod na Olympian manggagaling sa Batang Pinoy,” he added.
Pacquiao also welcomed the delegates to his hometown while also stressing that Batang Pinoy is only the beginning of their dreams.
“Dito ako lumaki, dito po ako natutong mangarap, at dito ko napatanuyan na ang tagumpay ay para sa mga taong di sumusuko at nagtitiwala sa Diyos,” said Pacquiao.
He also challenged the youth to continue striving for excellence and building character for their young and budding careers.
“Sports is more than winning medals. It is about building character, teamwork, and leadership. It is about learning humility in victory, and courage in defeat,” said Pacquiao.
“Mga batang Pinoy, I challenge you, train harder, play smarter, compete stronger, respect your coaches and your opponents, and in every victory or defeat, always honor God. When you play with integrity, you honor your city or province.”
“When you rise after defeat, you uplift our nation. And when you give your best, you let the Filipino spirit shine,” he added.
The young athletes were also treated to cultural spectacles as well as song and dance performances from artists like Dionela, Marko Rudio and Fumiya while General Santos City mayor Lorelie Pacquiao officially declared the games open.
