The Cebu City Niños may have dominated the recent Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet earlier this month in Tagbilaran City, Bohol but Cebu City councilor Joy Augustus Young wasn’t quite satisfied.
Young, in a roundtable discussion with Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) Chairman Edward Hayco yesterday at The Port Restaurant in Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino said he was disappointed and ‘embarrassed’ with how the public school athletes performed, winning only 17 of the total 114 gold medals won by the Cebu City team.
The rest of the gold medals were won by athletes from private schools.
“I am not proud of it. You did not hear me brag that we won Cviraa again. In fact, I am embarrassed about it. I did not exclaim it because I don’t want to discredit the hard work of private school athletes, they deserve their win but I am disappointed with the performance of our public school athletes,” Young said.
For Young, this is an alarming state for public schools’ sports programs, which the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City officials should take seriously.
“I tasked DepEd Cebu City sports coordinator Francis Ramirez to develop and improve our medalists from public schools in Cebu City Olympics and Cviraa. We are working with Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) to help us in training the athletes,” said Young.
To help develop the underprivileged athletes of Cebu City’s public schools, CCSC will be putting up a year-round training program in six selected public schools in Cebu City.