After 14 years CVIRAA returns to Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Everything is already in place for the 2014 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet, which returns to the Queen City of the South after 14 years. The week-long athletic meet will formally kick off this Sunday at the Cebu City Sports Center.

The annual competition was originally set last November, but was moved after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol. The staging of the regional meet was also delayed by super typhoon Yolanda that devastated the Visayas region.

“The response from all divisions is very surprising considering the calamities that hit our region. Grabe gyud ilang support gipakita sa atoa. We are able to reach our usual number of delegates,” said Physical Education and School Sports (PESS)-7 chief  Vivian Ginete in a news conference yesterday at the DepEd-Cebu City division office.

Over 10,000 athletes, coaches, and officials are expected to take part in the developmental sports tournament for school-based athletes under the elementary and secondary level.

Led by host Cebu City with 476 athletes, the other competing delegations and their respective entries are:

Bohol Province (459), Tagbilaran City (356), Bogo (220), Cebu Province (482), Bais (202), Bayawan (234), Carcar (255), Danao (255), Dumaguete (373), Guilhulngan (186), Lapu-Lapu (440), Mandaue (500), Naga (211), Negros Oriental(416), Siquijor (174), Talisay (323), Tanjay(210), and Toledo (140).

Despite the devastation caused by the twin calamities, the city government through its special education fund has still allocated P14 million for this multi-sport gathering.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, for his part, promised to support the CVIRAA even if the city is still facing problems in rebuilding the Cebu City Medical Center.  “Gold can only be there if we build character,” said Rama.

Private entities are also backstopping the event, with archery taking place at the Family Park in Talamban, badminton at Racquet Zone in Banilad, baseball at the Aboitiz Sports Field, tennis at Alta Vista, Baseline and Pardo Tennis Club, elementary volleyball girls at Sacred Heart gym, and billiards at Gaisano Country Mall.

 Arnis will be played at the Ramon Duterte MNHS, elementary basketball at USC main and secondary basketball at the Cebu Coliseum and Cogon-Ramos gym, secondary girls basketball at Cebu Eastern College, football and taekwondo at Don Bosco Technology Center, sipa and softball at UC-METC, sepak takraw at Basak gym, wrestling at Baseline, and wushu at USJ-R Basak campus.

 The medal-rich athletics and swimming will be at the CCSC along with boxing and table tennis while chess will be held at DepEd-Cebu City division office.

Billiards, futsal, wrestling and wushu will only be a demonstration sport, while dancesport has not been included anymore as it is not in the list of Palarong events.

The top performers of the CVIRAA Meet will represent the region in this year's Palaro set this May in Laguna. –Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (FREEMAN)