Visayas cops National Milo Little Olympics title

    MANILA, Philippines - Student-athletes from the Visayas put up a strong finish to power past erstwhile leader NCR and grab the overall title in the first National Milo Little Olympics in Cebu City.

Visayas edged perennial rival NCR by 70 points as it topped athletics, badminton, chess, gymnastics, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, sipa, swimming, table tennis and volleyball.

After trailing powerhouse NCR in the opening day, the Visayas team dominated the team events with the elementary division chalking up 323 points and the high school division collecting 298 points. In the overall standings, Visayas pooled 621 points followed by NCR with 551 points. Mindanao finished third with 373 points and Luzon took the fourth slot with 366 points.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and wife Margot and Department of Education consultant Joy Augustus Young received the National Milo Little Olympics Perpetual Trophy. 

“I congratulate all of the participants, especially Team Visayas for winning the first National Milo Little Oympics. I commend Milo for holding this event in Cebu, which helps budding athletes become the best that they can be,” said Osmeña. Visayas will keep the perpetual trophy until a new champion is crowned. However, if a team wins the overall title three times in a row, that team will be presented with a replica of the Perpetual trophy.

More than 1,200 student-athletes took part in the National Milo Little Olympics.

 For Luzon technical director and Department of Education regional chairman Bartolome Deneza, his team’s participation in the event was in itself gratifying considering the tremendous odds they faced after most of their members were hit by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

“We wanted to earn gold, not necessarily medals, but gold in experience and values,” said Deneza.

For more information, visit www.milo.com.ph.