Some 3,000 prospective athletes aged 4-15 turned up at the Baliwasan grandstand yesterday afternoon to participate in the month long free training on 26 sports disciplines dubbed Summer Learn to Play a Sport.

Mayor Celso Lobregat, who keynoted the opening ceremony, expressed elation that more and more youngsters participate in the city government-initiated Summer Learn to Play program which has already produced medalists in national and international sports competitions.

The Summer Learn to Play program, now on its 15th year, will be pursued for as long as he is mayor of Zamboanga, Lobregat said. ?We will continue to strengthen this program and other sports related programs of the city?.

During the month long activity, training on 26 sport disciplines will be offered for free to youngsters. These sports events include aikido/arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, baseball, body building, boxing, chess, dancesport, fencing, football, gymnastics, judo, karate-do, lawn tennis, muay thai, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, and wushu.

Trainings will be hosted at the Enriquez Sports Complex, however, several sports disciplines like muay thai will be conducted simultaneously in other venues.

The sports program forms part of Mayor Lobregat?s youth development program and had produced some of the city?s top athletes who perform exceptionally both at national and international competitions.

City sports director Bernardito Patino expects an increase in the number of participants compared to last year?s number of 3,500. Some 245 sports trainors have been tapped to conduct the training activities.

Present during the opening ceremony yesterday were LDP-AZaP vice mayoralty aspirant Cesar Iturralde and council aspirants coming from the red team. Councilor Joefel de las Penas gave the welcome remarks.