Tryouts for Batang Pinoy slots to represent province sought: “Kasi nung last, lahat ng player mostly is (Tabuk) city-based sila” - says TEA representative

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A representative of the Taekwondo Elite Academy has called for a fair and transparent selection process for athletes who will represent Kalinga in the 2026 Batang Pinoy National Finals, saying deserving athletes from other municipalities should also be given a chance to compete for slots.

The concern was raised by TEA representative Pugal during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Kalinga on September 22 at the Legislative Building in Bulanao, Tabuk City.

Pugal said city-based athletes have been getting most of the available slots in the Kalinga delegation, leaving fewer opportunities for athletes from other municipalities who have previously represented the province in regional and national competitions.

His proposed solution is to hold a tryout among eligible provincial athletes to determine who will officially represent Kalinga.

“Ang concern ko lang po sir is regarding po sa mga players ng province for Batang Pinoy. Kasi recently po kasi sir, ang problem po kasi sir is yong mga nagparticipate is galing po ng city, kumbaga wala po tayong representative na province po talaga,” Pugal told the provincial legislators.

He said some athletes based in Tabuk City are being included in the provincial delegation despite having city-based identification documents.

“Kasi nung last, lahat ng player mostly is city-based sila. Kumbaga for example, let us say si player one, ngayon sir lahat ng ano niya, including IDs is city pero pinunta siya sa may province, which is yong mga player na dapat lalaro sa province is nawawalan sila ng slot kasi yong mga city players ipinupunta sila sa excess ng province,” he said.

Pugal said a formal selection procedure, including tryouts, would give athletes from different parts of Kalinga a fair opportunity to compete for the available slots.

“Ang purpose ko lang po sana sir is magkaroon nga proper na procedure, for example sir may tryout then yong mga included po sir ay mga player po ng province. Para yong deserving slots po sana is sila po sana kukuha na yong iba isa nasa sulok-sulok ng province,” he said.

He added that TEA has enough athletes to conduct a tryout and identify those qualified to fill the available slots.

“Dun sa players namin meron naman po kaming enough number of players and puwede po kami magconduct ng try out para maidentify po natin yong mga deserving sa slots,” Pugal said.

Pugal also said TEA’s tryouts involve third-party officials from outside Kalinga, including officials from Region II, to help ensure that athletes are assessed fairly and based on their performance.

SP grants endorsement request

Aside from the selection process, Pugal sought the provincial government’s endorsement of the athletes who will be selected to represent Kalinga in the Batang Pinoy.

He said the endorsement is needed to formally submit the names of the selected athletes to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

“Kung may recommendation po sana sa province para we can pass it and select properly yong mga players na dapat pupunta and mga deserving na athletes na andyan sa sulok-sulok,” he said.

Board Member Camilo Lammawin Jr. instructed Pugal to submit the complete list of athletes to the Office of the SP Secretary for endorsement to the PSC.

“You can submit the complete list of the names of those who will represent the province, submit nalang kay secretary for us to endorse to PSC that this is the official team of the province,” Lammawin said.

The provincial board unanimously granted the request for the endorsement process, with the complete list of athletes to be submitted to the SP Secretary for appropriate action.

The 2026 Batang Pinoy National Finals is scheduled in Bacolod City from December 12 to 18, with taekwondo among the sports included in the competition.

The proposed tryout process is intended to identify qualified athletes who will officially represent Kalinga in the national youth competition.