Milo Little Olympics slated in C de Oro

MANILA, Philippines –  Grade school and high school athletes who stood out in the recent regional eliminations battle it out in the Milo Little Olympics 2010 National Finals on Oct. 15-17 at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro.

They battle it out in 12 sports disciplines – athletics, chess, scrabble, volleyball, soccer, sepak takraw, swimming, badminton, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and gymnastics.

Pitting skills in the national finals are the standouts in the Mindanao regional championships in Cagayan de Oro, Luzon regional for Luzon in Lingayen, Pangasinan, National Capital Region regional in Marikina and the Visayas regional in Cebu City.

More than 22,220 athletes from 946 schools nationwide took part in the regional competitions, with the standouts being challenged by Pat Goc-Ong, Nestle assistant vice president and Milo Sports Events executive, to take it to the next level in the national finals.

“Sino ang hahakot ng medalyang ginto sa Cagayan de Oro? The top performers in the regionals have shown they are capable of clinching the gold and now is the time to shine,” Goc-Ong told the standouts.

Supervised by accredited professionals, the Milo Little Olympics is one of few sports meets included in the Department of Education’s calendar of events.

Since its inception in 1988, the Milo Little Olympics has grown into one of the premier breeding grounds of young athletes and is a consistent feeder of talents for the country’s sports program. It was first expanded to include the Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon in 1995 and, by the year 2000, has consistently attracted more than 20,000 athletes annually.

While striving to keep competition at a high level and help produce promising new talents, the Milo Little Olympics also stresses the importance of values such as honesty, patience and confidence, values that build champions not only in sports but also in life.

“We invite everyone to witness the Milo Little Olympics in Cagayan De Oro. We also encourage all the participants to aim for the best scores and fastest times. Through these games, we intend to emphasize the values of sportsmanship and camaraderie as well as humility in victory and grace in defeat,” said Goc-Ong.