Starting 2023 with action-packed SPORTING EVENTS

By Richard C. Vargas

New Clark City hosted sporting events and training camps from diverse disciplines in the first quarter of 2023, making this new metropolis a melting pot for aficionados from all walks of life. The growing interest from sport organizers to host their events and activities at the world-class facilities of New Clark City demonstrates its preparedness. Here is a rundown of major New Clark City sports events that took place from January to March 2023:

01 PH Swimming League National LC Champs

Competitive sports in New Clark City jump-started 2023 with the staging of the National Long Course (LC) Championship of the Philippine Swimming League (PSL) in January. It drew over 300 young athletes across the country competing in 30 swimming events. The two-day swim meet was a qualifying round for the December 2023 Hamilton Aquatics happening in Dubai.

02 Drag Race Pilipinas National Finals 2022

Roars from motorcycle bikes echoed on the race grounds of New Clark City sports complex in February, as competitors vied to dominate 14 categories during the finals of Drag Race Pilipinas. This is New Clark City's first-ever hosting of a motorcycle race, offering a different kind of adrenaline rush to the sporting community.

03 Philippine Swimming National Tryouts

Appointed by the World Aquatics, Philippine Swimming Inc.'s (PSI) Stabilization Committee organized an open tryouts in search of Filipino tankers who will be part of the national aquatics team competing in the 2023 South East Asian Games in Cambodia. Veteran aquatics technical official from Japan Kazumi Eguchi oversaw the four-day national swim trials at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in February. The event was participated in by 197 tankers and supported by different grassroots swimming organizations and clubs.

04 Century Gravel Challenge

Over 600 participants hit the racing grounds of New Clark City in February for the Century Gravel Challenge, organized by Ultra Gravel Philippines. This timed adventure cycling event included a 160-kilometer (km) category, and 50-km categories for retro/vintage bikes, mountain bikes, party pace and electric-powered bicycles.

05 Boss Ironman Motorcycle Challenge

In February, a huge crowd of supporters and fans drew a festive vibe in New Clark City during the 17th edition of the BOSS Ironman Motorcycle Challenge, recording the biggest number of participants to date.

Traversing along a 1,200-km route across different terrains in Central and Northern Luzon, this riding event kept momentum alive in the new metropolis during the course of the long holiday weekend.

06 Clark International Football Academy

New Clark City in March hosted the two-day Clark International Football Academy (CIFA) matches, where 1,600 young football players exhibited their youthful, boundless energy in the green fields of the Athletics Stadium. A week prior to the official competition, a friendly football match took center stage among players of CIFA, La Salle Greenhills, and Goal Project Aeta Program.

07 Color Fun Night Ride

The iconic Sacobia bridge was one of the scenic backdrops captured by hundreds of riders and bike enthusiasts during the Color Fun Night Ride of the Philippine Cycling Festival in March.

08 AIDA Freediving Clinic

In March, participants from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of Tourism-Region 3 (DOT-R3) flocked to New Clark City Aquatics Center to take part in a freediving clinic organized by the Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA) Philippines. This forms part of DOT-R3's efforts to boost sports tourism in Central Luzon under its new program “Travel, Breathe, Dive” and position New Clark City Aquatics Center as the freediving hub of the region.