MANILA, Philippines - Action in the 42nd Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) begins today with 16 schools clashing for top honors in various divisions at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Rizal Technological University, last season’s overall senior champion, is this year’s host with the Blue Thunder taking on the Centro Escolar U Scorpions at the start of basketball competitions at 12:30 p.m. after the 11 a.m. opening rites.
Poveda and St. Paul College Pasig’s midget teams collide at 2 p.m. while St. Scholastica’s College and San Beda College Alabang square off in another seniors match at 3:30 p.m.
Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II have been invited to grace the opening ceremony.
Seven matches will kick off hostilities in volleyball tomorrow at the RTU gym while futsal matches will begin next Sunday.
“Despite the absence of three schools, followers of the WNCAA can still expect exciting matches from the 16 active schools,” said WNCAA president Vivian Manila of St. Scholastica.
The other participating schools are Angelicum College, De La Salle Zobel, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Miriam College, University of Asia & the Pacific, Philippine Women’s University, Chiang Kai Shek College, St. Stephen’s High School, La Salle College Antipolo and St. Jude Catholic School.
Many-time basketball and volleyball champion Lyceum, College of St. Benilde and La Consolacion College Manila are skipping the 42nd season of the league.
Miriam was last year’s junior overall champion as it dominated basketball and taekwondo while De La Salle-Zobel bested all midget squads after topping basketball, volleyball and badminton.
Softball will be added in the second semester calendar as an exhibition sport. Swimming, table tennis, tennis and taekwondo titles will be disputed in the last week of January 2012 while cheerdance (midgets) and cheerleading (junior and senior) are scheduled in February.
The National Games, featuring member schools in the provinces, will be staged March 28-April 1.
For details, schedule and results, visit www.wncaa.com.ph or email wncaa_media@yahoo.com