Tough competition for Cebu City Niños

DUMAGUETE CITY - The Cebu City Niños are expecting to meet tough opposition today when they kick off their bid for their 14th overall championship title in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet in various venues here in Negros Oriental.

But the question lies on whether the Niños could still come up with an impressive performance without the leadership of Dr. Leonilo Oliva, who is now with the Lapu-Lapu City Division, and PESS supervisor Matilde Mayonila, who was promoted to the DepEd RO VII regional office.

Out to give the Cebu City bets, who are now under the command of PESS supervisor Neneth Pardenilla, a run for their money are hosts Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City, which are both powerhouse in the swimming event and track and field giant Cebu Province and Bohol.

Today, there will be 28 gold medals, which will be at stake in both the elementary and secondary swimming events and another 14 in athletics.

Another medal-rich competitions, the taekwondo and gymnastics, will kick off tomorrow.

The Niños is also scheduled to start their title defense in elementary football against the winner between Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu while the secondary squad tackles the winner between Bohol and Bais.

In basketball, the Niños will face either Bais or Lapu-Lapu while the elementary bets debut against Tagbilaran. In baseball, the younger Niños meet Dumaguete while the secondary squad takes either Bohol or Tanjay. Dumaguete or Lapu-Lapu will be the first opponent of the Niños in softball while in sipa will have the winner against the Tagbilaran and Bais and either Bohol or Tanjay in sepak takraw.

Acid Test For Pardenilla

Mayonila, who gave Cebu City plenty of championship titles in the CVIRAA meet, could only hope and pray that all things will run smoothly as the Niños start their campaign in the regional meet.

The CVIRAA meet is actually an acid test for Pardenilla as athletics manager of the defending champions.

But Pardenilla already received early criticisms for accepting another task as co-tournament manager in sipa/sepak takraw, bringing about fears that the Niños might be left behind as she also needs to supervise strictly the competitions in sipa and sepak takraw.

Coaches and trainers, who refused to be named, said Pardenilla should take rounds all the time to all the playing venues where the Niños are seeing action to see to it that their needs are immediately meet, like what Mayonila did when she was PESS supervisor of Cebu City.

They said that it would be impossible for Pardenilla to visit all the playing venues since she also needs to supervise the conduct of the games in sipa and sepak takraw.