CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Young sports talent across the Bangsamoro region is getting a clear path to national competitions through a regional talent search designed to spot athletic potential early.
Through the Bangsamoro Sports Mapping Action Research Talent Identification (B-SMART-ID) program, sports officials are testing young students to match them with the sports where they have the best natural chance to excel.
During a recent trial at Nabalawag Elementary School in the Special Geographic Area (SGA), Grade 5 and 6 pupils went through physical test stations evaluating key athletic traits: height, weight, arm span, vertical jump, agility, sprint speed, and endurance.
Instead of leaving youth development to chance, the program uses test data to guide young athletes toward the right discipline.
"Participants receive their test results along with a personalized list of sports they can pursue based on their physical strengths," explained Abdurahim Mama, chief of the Bangsamoro Sports Commission (BSC) Policy Research and Development Division.
Once matched, young athletes will receive targeted training from local coaches trained under the same system.
Philippine Sports Commission Performance Specialist Mark Jeffrey Ng noted that early talent identification does more than build championship teams—it transforms young lives.
"In sports, it’s not just about winning, but actually about building better human beings," Ng said. "That’s why Bangsamoro youth should get involved—to build themselves and their communities."
To ensure promising local athletes don't drop out of the pipeline, the BSC is also exploring plans for a dedicated Bangsamoro Academy of Sports, giving rural youth the long-term training and incentives needed to represent BARMM at the annual Palarong Pambansa and beyond. (with reports from BIO)
