CEBU CITY, Philippines – The 2020 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games slated from April 15-24, 2020 in Tuguegarao City is now canceled.
This was relayed to CDN Digital by Bernard Ricablanca, deputy secretary-general for PRISAA-7, who just came from a meeting Friday night, March 13, 2020, together with other PRISAA officials and representatives of Tuguegarao City and Cagayan Province in Tuguegarao.
“We just had our meeting with the representatives from the office of the City of Tuguegarao and Province of Cagayan, regarding the 2020 PRISAA National Games on April 15-24 and came up with the decision based on the pronouncement of President Duterte regarding COVID-19, that the 2020 PRISAA National Games be postponed to 2021 with Tuguegarao remaining as host,” stated a message sent by Ricablanca.
The PRISAA National Games is the annual sports competition for college and senior high student-athletes coming from private schools, colleges, and universities. It is organized by the PRISAA.
Ricablanca explained that although there will be no National Games this year, it doesn’t mean that those who won their respective events in the regional meets this year will automatically get to represent their regions in next year’s national finals.
According to Ricablanca, this year, the PRISAA games will just be up to the regionals as no national games will be held. Next year, the selection process for regional representatives to the national games will follow the same cycle as it has always had.
In Cebu City’s case, those who can represent the city to the regional finals will have to first compete and win in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi).
Ricablanca explained that this is so because some of those student-athletes who won in their respective regional meets this year may have already graduated so they will no longer be available for the 2021 PRISAA National Games.
PRISAA-7 just had its regional finals last weekend with Cebu City student-athletes ruling most of the sporting events. /rcg