Estrada lauds CHED meet

Despite his failure to grace yesterday's opening ceremony of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) National Games at the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus in Quezon City, President Joseph Estrada commended yesterday the organizers of the Games for their commitment in developing the youth through sports.

"I commend the CHED and FHESA (Federation of Higher Education Sports Associations) for their collaborative efforts in staging the CHED National Games. This is a true manifestation of their desire and commitment to help develop the youth of the country to become responsible, disciplined and competitive," said Estrada in a speech read by CHED chairman Ester Garcia.

President Estrada is currently in Bacolod City for the 2000 Palarong Pambansa, a counterpart event for high school and elementary students.

Also in his speech, the Chief Executive added that this week-long event, organized by CHED and FHESA headed by former PSC commissioner Tisha Abundo, "comes as a gush of fresh wind amidst our efforts to quelch the sporadic problems in Mindanao, which I see will be soon as we have the upperhand."

Meantime, PRISAA and UAAP, two of the seven sports associations inside the National Capital Region, got off to a good start with worthy victories in basketball, volleyball and softball.

PRISAA's men's basketball team hammered out a 74-59 triumph over Southern Tagalog Higher Education Sports Association (STHESA) while its men's volleyball squad, ironically represented by UAAP reigning champion University of Santo Tomas, scuttled CHED Supervised School Athletic Association (CHESSAA), 25-9, 25-11.

Its softball team was equally impressive with a 9-2 win over Cagayan Valley Higher Education Sports Association (CAVAHESA).

UAAP, bannered by De La Salle, turned back a hard-fighting University of Cebu of the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA), 58-47, in men's caging while its women's team, the De La Salle Lady Archers, smothered Lyceum of the NCR Athletic Association (NCRAA), 25-21, 25-15.

Complementing the impressive twin wins was reigning UAAP softball titlist Adamson University's 27-1 demolition of Cordillera Administrative Region Tertiary Education Sports Association (CARTESA) to post the event's biggest win.

Also posting wins in basketball were Baguio Educational Athletic League (BEAL) which defeated CHESSAA, 97-43, Polytechnic University of the Philippines of State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA), which routed Iloilo Tertiary Sports Athletic Association (ITSAA), 103-69, and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which drowned CAVAHESA, 102-64.

In the other volleyball results, CAAA's mens team overcame a first set loss to outduel Negros Occidental Provincial School Sports Cultural Education Association (NOPSSCEA), 22-25, 25-17, 25-22, while distaff squad edged Colleges and Universities Sports Association (CUSA), 26-24, 25-21.