SECONDARY division defending champions University of San Carlos-Basic Education (USC-BED) isn’t quite confident it can retain its crown when it competes in the 23rd Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals starting on Thursday at the Cebu City Sports Center.
USC-BED athletic director Saturnino Mayormita told Cebu Daily News the school will field a slim contingent in the multisporting meet that will feature around 5,000 athletes from schools around the Visayas.
Mayormita said USC-BED’s contingent will be composed of around a hundred athletes, competing only in picked events.
“It is going to be very tough for us this year because most of our athletes are overaged and we are trying to rebuild our elementary division athletes recruitment through a new program,” said Mayormita. “I doubt that we can still defend our title in the secondary division.”
Last year, the school had 197 athletes and emerged as secondary division champions and elementary division sixth placers.
But there is something USC-BED can be positive about.
Last year, the school also didn’t expect to win a title because of its lean roster. And yet, the team defended its secondary division title.
Mayormita said that the team will do its best to duplicate that feat.
“We can’t promise that we can defend the title in the secondary division and retake the elementary title. What we can promise is that we will do our best and fight until the last day of the competition,” Mayormita said.