Yes - it IS confusing! I have to remember though - this is the press. The few times that I have been involved in something and it got written about I think “But that’s not the way it happened!”
Between the possible language problems and the rush to be the first one out with the story I suppose? Regardless, it sounds like people going into the cave was very common. Some bigshot (governor?) of the area said something like “The boys in the city sit on their couches, the mountain boys explore caves and play in the forest - that is what they do.”
The more I read, it sounds like they take great pride in being hill country people. Like their team name - “Wild Boars” - I think I read it was also translated as “Hill Pig” or something!
I agree that it sounds like it’s what the kids do there, similar to exploring the woods to kids here in the US.