CV bets to CHED National Games off tonight

CEBU, Philippines - The Central Visayas delegation leaves Cebu this 9 p.m., hoping to haul gold medals in the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) National Games and Cultural Festival on February 22-28 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

With only one event unrepresented, the joint participation of State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) and Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) schools, Region VII over-all delegation head Amelia Biglete is challenging the delegates to strive hard to improve the region’s performance.

“Biglete is challenging us to improve our standing in the national meet and it’s a big task ahead of us,” said Ryan Aznar of Southwestern University and the current PRISAA officer-in-charge.

Aznar said that the region has been the perennial third placers in the National PRISAA and just last year, it was only nine golds behind second placer, Western Visayas.

“We’re hoping to do better and place better this year by earning more golds, especially now that all events are already represented except for one, which is the women’s judo. I just hope that with these changes, we could improve our standing,” Aznar said.

In this week-long sports conclave, boxing and beach volleyball where Cebuanos are best noted for being champions, have already been added in the list of sports to be competed. Region VII also hopes to claim medals in team events like softball and baseball, which were not represented for many years.

Cebu Technological University (CTU), formerly Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST), and Philippine Maritime University (PMU) of Bohol will be taking part in softball and baseball, respectively.

 “It’s been a long time since we had no entries for these sports, it’s just now that we already have representatives with the inclusion of the SCUAA schools during the RAHEI Games in Bohol last month,” said Aznar.

 The CHED National Games will have the Olympic style modified medal count in determining the ranking of the 17 regions.

 This 2 p.m., all the delegates will attend a mass at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main chapel.

 “We’’ just do our best for our region to be proud. We also encouraged our athletes to observe decent showing in the various sporting events that they will be participating,” Aznar said. – Marigold P. Lebumfacil (THE FREEMAN)