Lanao del Norte hosts first-ever Mindanao Youth Games

Lanao Del Norte will make history by hosting the first-ever Mindanao Youth Games (MYG) from April 11–17 next year, in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), marking the province's transformation into a premier sports tourism destination.

At the heart of the MYG staging is the Mindanao Civic Center (MCC), a sprawling 70-hectare sports complex in Tubod where thousands of athletes aged 18 and under from 33 cities across six Mindanao regions will gather and compete, with Timor-Leste joining as a guest team.

“When I went there last month, the facilities really impressed and awed me. It’s really world-class,’’ said PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio during Tuesday’s launch at the PSC media conference room at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Gregorio added that they will raise the level of the Games here to discover new athletes and future national athletes from Mindanao.

Competitions will span 12 to 15 sports, including football, athletics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, archery, tennis, combat sports, and weightlifting.

The MCC boasts a FIFA-certified football pitch, a World Athletics-standard track and field oval, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a 5,000-seater gymnasium, venues for archery, tennis, combat sports, and weightlifting and a 5-star hotel.

“We're very happy to host the Mindanao Youth Games. And we're very happy to work together with the PSC to bring in better sports experiences for our athletes,’’ said Lanao Del Norte Governor Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo.

“The problem with LGUs is kanya-kanya. What we need is someone at the national level to give us direction. There is no leader until we finally meet PSC Chairman Pato,” added Gov. Dimaporo joined the launch alongside his sister, Lanao Del Norte 2nd District Representative Sittie Aminah Dimaporo.

Aside from the existing facilities, a baseball/softball diamond will soon rise with support from the PSC and the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association.

The Mindanao Civic Center (MCC) is no stranger to sporting history, having successfully hosted the 2003 Palarong Pambansa. With its world-class facilities upgraded, the MCC stands ready to host bigger national sporting events, including the Batang Pinoy in 2028 and potentially a future edition of the Palarong Pambansa. It will also serve as the home of the Mindanao Youth Games (MYG) for three consecutive years through 2029, further cementing its role as a major sports hub in Mindanao.

“We want every tournament we host to be sustainable. As Chairman Pato said, paano makakarating ang mga bata sa itaas if they're not even given the chance to compete?” remarked Congresswoman Dimaporo.

“Hosting competitions like this sets the standard, inspires our kids, and motivates them to train harder,” she added.

Governor Dimaporo assured that they will provide full accommodation for athletes, officials, and members of the media, with the province’s new hotels and resorts prepared to welcome them.

“People will realize that we don’t only host events in Manila. We go outside Metro Manila, to the Visayas, to Mindanao. The focus is to develop regional training centers. When you upgrade facilities in the provinces, it’s an opportunity to host as well,” said Gregorio.

Infrastructure improvements, including the Panguil Bay Bridge connecting Ozamiz and Tangub City to Tubod, and an airport just 30 minutes away, ensure accessibility for athletes, officials, and visitors.

“This MYG hosting is a dream that will become a reality for our province,” said Lanao Del Norte First District Congresswoman Imelda ‘Angging’ Quibranza-Dimaporo, who hosted Chairman Gregorio and the PSC team when they visited the MCC during the Lanao del Norte Sports and Youth Summit last month.

“I hope our countrymen will consider and put our province in their bucket list. This is the land of beauty and bounty, where you will find peace, and where the people are warm and hospitable,” said added.

The MCC recently staged Premier Volleyball League matches that drew thousands of fans from Northern Mindanao, alongside the Mindanao Boy Scouts Jamboree which welcomed more than 3,000 delegates.

“It would be a mortal sin not to maximize these facilities. When we visited, we saw they were built to international standards. PSC Commissioner Fritz Gaston, the commissioner in charge of the MYG, said that Congresswoman Angging emphasized that nothing here is second-rate and that they design everything to be the best, all the time.

Gregorio emphasised that the organisers see the Games not only as a showcase of talent but also as a catalyst for economic growth, sports tourism, and youth development.

For Lanao del Norte, it is the beginning of a big dream to become the center of sports tourism in Mindanao.

The transformation is already underway. The PSC has already identified the Mindanao Civic Center as a future regional training hub for football and baseball, ensuring sustained activity beyond the Games