TACLOBAN CITY — Champions of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic (EVRAA) Meet this year will immediately start their preparation for the upcoming Palarong Pambansa (national games) 2018 to be held in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
Department of Education (DepEd) Ormoc City head Manuel Albaño said athletes from their city, who won in most games during the regional sports meet that concluded Friday, will start their practice within the week.
“We will be sending more than 50 athletes to Palaro and most of them multiple medals as they performed well in the EVRAA,” Albaño said on Monday.
Ormoc City team was this year’s overall winner of EVRAA held in Calbayog City after earning a total of 109 gold, 56 silver, 74 bronze. This is a big improvement to the 78 gold, 50 silver and 68 bronze they earned last year’s games held in Naval, Biliran.
Although their team is this year’s EVRAA champion, the education official said that only half of their athletes will compose the region’s delegation to the national event. Others are gold medalists from other cities and provinces.
Albaño thanked Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez for his support extended to athletes as this inspired them to defeat players from Leyte province, who has been the regional champion for seven years.
Prior to the regional competition, the city government consulted athletes who competed in international sports competition like in Olympics, Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and Asian Games.
The athletes from Ormoc were trained for two months by SEA Games gold medalist Elma Muroz, 1996 Olympics Silver medalist Mansueto Velasco Jr., SEA Games 1999, 9-ball gold medalist Rodolfo Luat, gymnast coach Larry Reyes, among others.
“It is always a dream of DepEd to have a supportive local government, establish a good partnership with them, not only in sports but in all activities related to education,” Albaño added.
During her visit in Calbayog City on Friday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that due to budget constraints, their agency is dependent on local government units to finance athletes’ training.
“We hope that more local government officials will become more supportive and build more sports center like in the National Capital Region. They are the perpetual winner in the Palarong Pambansa because they have good support to sports program,” Briones said.
Meanwhile, DepEd Leyte office chief Ronilo Al Firmo said that although they ended in the second spot, they are still happy because many athletes in the Palaro representing the region, will come from Leyte province.
“Although we ranked second to Ormoc, we feel as if we are the champion because almost half of Eastern Visayas delegation to the Palaro are from Leyte,” Firmo said.
For the Palarong Pambansa 2018 to be held last week of April, DepEd Region 8 will send around 600 to 700 athletes, coaches, and chaperones. (Roel Amazona/PNA)
