Ms. Milo Little Olympics winners Azriel Atira Coloma (left, secondary) of Maria Montessori International School and Cristh Lucy Pilayre of the University of San Carlos-BED South Campus, pose after the awarding ceremony.
Christian Maningo
CEBU delegations are in danger of losing the elementary and secondary titles of the 31st Milo Little Olympics (MLO) Visayas Regional Finals which will start its hostilities today in different venues in Cebu City.
MLO Visayas organizer Ricky Ballesteros said that this is a big possibility citing the presence of athletes from Bacolod Tay Tung High School, Saint John Institute, University of Saint La Salle of Bacolod, the Aklan, Dumaguete, and Ormoc swimmers, and the Iloilo tracksters, who are all here and seriously vying to bring home the division titles to their hometowns.
The Cebuanos are already under pressure to wrest back the elementary title after losing it to St. John Institute of Bacolod last year, making the school the first from out of Cebu to have topped the division.
It will be a dogfight, according to Ballesteros, who hopes that Cebu’s local schools like the secondary defending champion University of San Carlos-Basic Education (USC-BED), and other notable schools such as former 17-time secondary title holders, University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, will step up and protect the home court.
Meanwhile, during the opening ceremonies yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center, no less than Nestle Philippines vice president Wilfredo de Ocampo welcomed the participants. He was joined by Milo Sports Executive Lester Castillo and Department of Education Visayas officials led by Dr. Juliet Jeruta.
Palarong Pambansa multiple gold medalist in gymnastics, Daniela Reggie dela Pisa, who now studies at the Bright Academy, lit the urn for peace and unity while UC’s table paddler Eljey Dan Tormis, who also won the gold medal in the Palaro this year, recited the oath of athletes. USC-BED athletics coach Arvin Loberanis led the oath of coaches and football tournament manager Danny Ramos recited the oath of officiating officials.
Maria Montessori International School’s 15-year-old ninth grader Azriel Atira Coloma and 12-year-old sixth grader from USC-BED Cristh Lucy Pilayre were named Miss Milo 2018 secondary and elementary division, respectively.