CVIRAA show begins: Cebu City Niños seek their 13th overall crown

TAGBILARAN CITY – The battle among the region's most promising elementary and secondary athletes begins today as the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Regional Meet goes full blast at different venues here.

The Cebu City Niños vies for their 13th overall title against 12 other squads coming from the four provinces under Region VII.

Cebu Province, last year's host and first-runner-up, is again expected to give the Queen City of the South a tough challenge, although this year's host Tagbilaran and the Bohol Province are likewise aiming to make waves at their turf.

The other competing delegations are Bais, Bayawan, Danao, Dumaguete, Mandaue, Oriental Negros, Siquijor, Talisay and Tanjay.

Unlike in the previous staging of the multi-event gathering, the Niños and the rest will be competing not only for gold, but for points with the organizing Department of Education-7 utilizing the "points system" to determine the top performing contingents.

The 'points system' that will be used in CVIRAA started in last year's Palarong Pambansa in Iloilo.

Under this scheme, even the sixth placer in a certain event gets points that may lift their team's overall standing unlike in the medal tally where only the gold, silver and bronze finish will be counted in.

While this is taxing for some, some delegations are happy about this as this will improve their chances of entering into the top of the standings.

Majority of the playing venues are just located in this bustling city, while the elementary and secondary baseball will take place in Maribojoc, approximately 14 kilometers away from the main venue, the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex. Softball and chess will be played in Dauis.

Among the events to be contested at the CPG Sports Complex are athletics, basketball, boxing, football, elementary lawn tennis, and swimming, while the Bohol Cultural Center will play host to secondary volleyball and gymnastics.

The field events in athletics will be at the Holy Name University's Dampas Campus along with taekwondo, while its main campus will host some of the basketball games.

Bohol Institute of Technology-Dao will stage archery as Bohol Wisdom School hosts badminton and Dr. Cecilio Putong Memorial National High School will have sepak takraw and sipa.

Table tennis, other volleyball games and dancesport will be at the University of Bohol, while secondary lawn tennis will be at the Cogon Shrine.

The top winners in the week-long competition will earn the right to represent the region to the Palarong Pambansa set to take place in Naga City from May 7 to 13.