CVIRAA meet kicks off in Bohol this pm

CEBU, Philippines - An unprecedented 19th straight overall championship is surely at the back of Cebu City athletes' minds as the 2011 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet formally kicks off this afternoon at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex in Tagbilaran City.

Meanwhile, no less than Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin A. Luistro will grace the lavish opening ceremonies today. He will deliver a keynote speech and formally declare the 2011 CVIRAA Meet open.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Augustus Joy Young expressed confidence on the Niños' performance in the week-long sports conclave because of their extensive training and the numerous inter-school competitions they topped during the past months.

“We have a very bright chance of retaining the overall championship. I’m confident with our athletes because of their impressive showing in previous tournaments especially during the Milo Little Olympics,” said Young.

The elementary and secondary football players of Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) will try to duplicate their feats in the MLO National Finals along with the boys volleyball teams of Abellana National School and Colegio del Sto. Nino.

Team Cebu City is also expected to haul more golds in various fronts such as the medal-rich athletics and swimming, gymnastics, table tennis, badminton, scrabble, chess and basketball among others.

Cebu Province, on the other hand, is gunning for golds in sipa and elementary girls volleyball where it is powered by four-time Palarong Pambansa champion Catmon Elementary School.

The rest of the participating contigents include Bais, Bayawan, Bogo, Bohol, Carcar, Cebu Province, Danao, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Tagbilaran, Talisay, Tanjay and Toledo.

Around 9,000 athletes from all over the region will plunge into action starting tomorrow in archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, sipa, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

This year’s edition will no longer have dancesport competition. Instead, a cultural presentation will be presented such as balitaw, vocal solo, folk dance and kundiman ni Dr. Jose Rizal.

Special awards will be given away to the best in marching saludo, most disciplined delegation, cleanest and most orderly billeting quarter. - THE FREEMAN