■ Harley F. Palangchao
For the fourth time, Baguio City has clinched the overall champion in the recently held Batang Pinoy 2023 national finals in Manila with 82 gold, 52 silver, and 59 bronze medals for total of 193 mints.
Athletes from the Summer Capital has clinched medals in every sport discipline that drew other athletes from more than 80 participating local government units nationwide, including the imperial cities of Manila and Cebu.
Bulk of the medals for Baguio came from combat sports such as taekwondo, Muay Thai, kickboxing and judo, cementing further the city’s moniker as a mecca for combat sports in the country.
Baguio’s best archer Chass Mhaiven Nawew Colas has emerged the most bemedaled athlete in the competition organized by the Philippine Sports Commission with five gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
The 14-year-old Colas clinched gold medals in the 30-meter, 40-m., 60-m., 1440 FITA, and Olympic round. He also won one silver in the 50-m. and a bronze in the team event.
Colas has been bringing home multiple medals in different national tournaments over the past years.
He is also being trained by his older brother Renian Nawew, a member of the Philippine Archery Team, who also won three medals in the Philippine National Games 2023.
Colas failed to join in the event which he was top seeded due to lack of time as it was already dark, according to his uncle.
Pasig City placed second with a 57-56-74 medal haul followed by Davao City with 47-5-39; Quezon City with 44-35-48 medals; and Cebu City completing the top five LGUs with a 39-43-46 medal haul.
Tabuk City is the second best LGU from the Cordillera to participate in the tournament with 16-10-8 medal haul for the 15th spot while Benguet placed 62nd with a 3-5-7 medal haul.
Baguio City clinched the overall BP medal tally in 2018, 2019 and 2022, as the annual event was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
