Abellana National School makes inspiring journey in Milo Olympics

Rising above the challenge, thriving in meager resources

CEBU, Philippines – Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The Abellana National School best illustrates this old English proverb in its meandering, yet very inspiring journey that is worth emulating for during the Visayas regional finals of the 20th Milo Little Olympics adversity held for the first time in the province of Iloilo last week.

For a public school with limited coffers for its athletic program most especially in out-of-town tournaments, what ANS had done is a success story in itself, fielding in a substantial number of athletes  totalling to 76 that is surprisingly even bigger that defending champion University of San Carlos in the secondary division.

ANS athletics coach Bert Banzon was quick to point out that they were able to go to Iloilo through their own initiative and solicitations with the help of their respective families. So determined they were that some of their players did not mind wearing old and borrowed uniforms just to take their athletic acts to a different level.

“When we agreed on what uniform to wear, there were those who did not have one,” said Banzon. “But after tracing those who still own the uniforms we prescribed, the athletes went to see the former athletes and asked if they could borrow it. It was a good thing that the former players still have theirs and readily lent it to our players now.”

ANS Physical Education and School Sports coordinator Francis Ramirez gamely admitted that their school as well as their Parents-Teachers Association do not have a budget to send their athletes to out-of-town events that is why they have to resort to solicitations and doing some ‘side jobs’ just to earn extra money for their fare and allowance.

Solicitations are allowed, according to DepEd Cebu City Shools Division PESS chief Zenaida Gocotano, as long as the athletes or the schools concerned do not bring or drag the name of DepEd in all their dealings.

Despite the odds, ANS is sending the most number of athletes they possibly could for exposure and to prove something else to the rest.

This as the Milo Olympics, a laudable development sports competition bankrolled by Nestle Philippines, is broader in scope considering that it is open to athletes from other areas and is not limited to other provinces that comprise one region like the CVIRAA or the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association.

“The Milo Olympics is better that the CVIRAA (for region 7 athletes only). That’s why we looked for ways to come up with funds for fare and food allowances because we believe that by joining this event, we get to see the styles and techniques of players from Iloilo and Bacolod. We learned a lot from this,” said Ramirez.

More than testing their might, ANS bets showed that even if they come from a public school, they know how to behave well and act properly when the situation calls for it.

Yes, the delegates of ANS have proven once again that they have discipline and creativity after they were adjudged as the ‘Best in Parade and Saludo’ even without high-end props and the ‘Most Disciplined’ among thousands of other young aspiring athletes across the Visayas region.

“The athletes have shown to their teachers that even if at times they are rowdy, in moments they need to be serious, they can act like one. They can easily be disciplined and they cooperate well,” said Ramirez.

ANS also takes pride for its decent campaign in the four-day tilt, winning silver medal in sepak takraw and finished fourth overall in athletics event courtesy of three silver medals from John Paul Apilan in the 400m hurdles, and Mike Laurence Lopez in the 100m and 200m run. They also placed fourth in boys volleyball and advanced into the quarterfinal round of football and basketball under a knockout system.

For all their efforts, the spirited athletes of ANS, without doubt, have become an inspiration to the rest that even without new uniforms and a meager budget, they are more than willing to sacrifice all for the love of sport and thirst for exposure and more experience in the athletic arena. (FREEMAN)