The century’s next future Olympians are here.
As 2010’s Youth Olympics in Singapore kicked off the launch of its virtual games called the Odyssey, an online platform for sports competitions such as archery and swimming, it’s apparent that the sports world is tapping into the virtual realm to encourage more people to be more active. And it’s not farfetched to assume that tomorrow’s athletes might soon be battling in a slew of virtual sports competitions.
So start holding your breath – because the kids participating in the Tiger EnerGames finals at the SMX Convention Center might just be our country’s very first virtual Olympic envoys.
Emerging from various cities all over Manila, the best of 10,240 kids who participated in the eliminations round are all set to compete in Nintendo Wii sports contests such as basketball, tennis, boxing, cycling, and fencing. From morning until the afternoon, the 30 schools will all vie for the top spots for the Cubs and Tigers divisions – yet in the end, only the cream of the crop will come out victorious.
“One cannot deny the numerous benefits athletic activities have among children,” notes Frenissa Lagman, Assistant Brand Manager for Tiger. “Apart from the physical aspect, it also encourages the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and excellence among our young.”
With more and more children being drawn into virtual gaming, the Tiger EnerGames has made physical activity relevant again to kids. Sponsored by Tiger, a great-tasting biscuit containing Enermaxx – a combination of essential vitamins and minerals that helps give kids the extra energy they need, the competition highlighted the importance of finding ways to combine fun and movement together.
“In the past, kids used to engage in street games – running, jumping, playing ball. But with the advent of digital games, today’s young are too distracted to even bother playing outside anymore,” shares Lagman.
“With Tiger EnerGames, we hope to lead children back into the world of fitness and activity, while developing social ties with their peers.”
And thanks to the Tiger EnerGames, they’re one step ahead on the road to future virtual Olympic stardom.
My son is one of the members of Team Acacia, who won the Tiger Energames and emerged as the Over-all Champion in the Cubs Division. If it’s true that they’re gonna be our country’s official envoy to the Virtual Olympics, we’re already excited and we’d like to be the first one to know. Please keep me posted. Thanks and God bless.