MAASIN CITY – Maasin City flexed its muscles to grab the gold in lawn tennis singles and doubles at the Batang Pinoy Youth Games National Championship held in Gov. San Luis Sports Complex Naga City last December 9-13, 2011. About 2,000 best athletes from different regions competed in the recent national youth games.

Mary Joy Calapre lord it over in the lawn tennis singles and together with Angelica Mae Baluran, the powerful team bagged the gold in the lawn tennis doubles. They were coached by Christopher Plateros, a health buff and head of the Health City Initiative Enforcers (HCIE) of Maasin City.

Mary Joy Calapre who hails from Barangay Mantahan of this city, daughter of Basilio Cid Calapre was also awarded the coveted “Best Athlete in Lawn Tennis” of the Batang Pinoy National Championship. Calapre and Baluran are expected to secure slots to the Philippine Team plunging into action in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China according to Plateros.

Plateros said that sports enthusiast and sports writer Mayor Maloney Samaco led the government officials in supporting the athletes from the city.

Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games–Batang Pinoy, serves as the national sports competition program for children, and is envisioned to address the need for a grassroots sports program centered on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play. Batang Pinoy organized by the Philippine Sports Commission is designed in partnership with government agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangay. Batang Pinoy is an open tournament for children 15 years old and below based on the Batang Pinoy calendar year.

Other medalists from the city were Julirey Vuillahermosa, Silver in Boxing; Josh Mark Maquilabit, Silver in Badminton Singles. The following also brought home Bronze Medals: Josh Mark Maquilabit and Nequi Joseph Cepada – Badminton Doubles, Alemar Javier and Cesar Bestudio, Boxing and Joshua Ephraism Lagunay. Vicky C. Arnaiz