THE boys were seen doing balancing acts on the side while others played wrestling on the ground as the girls were busy chatting, giggling and laughing before the Summer Children’s Games 2017 Larong Pinoy started at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Friday afternoon.
But more cheers and laughters from at least 200 12-year-old participants from 12 barangays and over a hundred adult spectators reverberated around the field when the relay games at last started. Featured were Kadang-Kadang, Maria Went To Town and Sack Race relays.
The Maria Went to Town received the most attention as boys gamely walked donning a girl’s attire with a basketball placed between their thighs while holding a basket. Some fell along the way but they still stood up, laughing it off, eliciting more cheers and applause from the appreciative crowd.
The boys found seemed to have an easy time walking on two stringed coconut stilts than girl participants in the Kadang-Kadang race. It’s a good thing though that each team had a mix of boys and girls to even the playing field.
In the Sack Race, the girls also showed their wares alongside their male teammates.
Barangay Bantol emerged champion in Kadang-Kadang, checking in at three minutes and 12 seconds while Barangay 76-A Bucana (3:25) was second and Barangay Tamugan (4:45) placed third.
The Sack Race title went to Baguio Proper, which clocked (2:08), to race past Barangay Biao (2:30) and Barangay Bucana (2:32) while Barangay Indangan romped away with the Maria Went To Town title (2:38:10) over Barangay Cabantian (2:50:25) and Barangay Baguio Proper (3:13.89) that finished second and third, respectively.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) William “Butch” Ramirez, who witness the relay games, said, “Nalingaw ko og tan-aw sa mga bata nga nag-enjoy og dula sa Larong Pinoy (I really enjoyed watching the kids having fun in playing the Larong Pinoy). This is what the President has been telling us about, to see the children play and have fun, to afford them this educational leisure.”
The LarongPinoy is part of the Children’s Games, which is a primary component of the PSC’s Sports for Peace Program, a brainchild of Ramirez. He eyes to replicate the Children’s Games in other parts of Mindanao and in areas in Luzon and the Visayas.
Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) Davao City coordinator Mark Paul Samante said instead of the 10 players per team in the Larong Pinoy, some barangays fielded more participants.
“Gipadula nalang namo tanang mga bata kay mao man na ilang kalipay (We just allowed all the children to play, because it’s a joy for them),” Samante said.
Meanwhile, semifinals and championship games in 3-on-3 basketball and volleyball were being played as of Saturday, May 27.
Prizes await all winners.
