Cesafi commissioner Felix “Boy” Tikunhoy (seated, center) with other Cesafi officials and Miss Cesafi candidates(standing) during a press conference at the Cebu International Parklane Hotel on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. CDN Digital photo | Dale Rosal
CEBU CITY—The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) returns on Friday, April 22, 2022, at the Cebu Coliseum, ending a two-and-a-half-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a press conference on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, Cesafi commissioner Felix “Boy” Tiukinhoy announced that the league will begin with a series of “mini events” after a long absence from the Cebu sporting scene.
“We are very excited to be back,” Tiukinhoy said in a press conference held at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel.
The last time the Cesafi was active was in November 22, 2019, which was Game 3 of the men’s basketball finals between the defending champion University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers and the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras. SWU won the title that year.
This year’s Cesafi season features 13 sporting events. These are athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, chess, dancesport, football, E-sports, karatedo, scrabble, table tennis, taekwondo, and lawn tennis.
Highlighting the opening of the 2021-2022 season on Friday will be the coronation for the Miss Cesafi pageant.
Tiukinhoy said though that the sporting events to be held starting this month will be mini events to test the playing conditions under the new normal.
“It’s just mini-events to show to the fans and the Cesafi community that we are here to do the Cesafi again for the next years to come,” the commissioner said.
According to Tiukinhoy, they are planning to start the regular season of the Cesafi by September, given that there will be no resurgence of Covid-19.
“We are hopeful for the September 2022 [start of regular season]. We are hopeful and we are looking forward to that season. It will be our regular season under the new normal,” said Tiukinhoy.
Meanwhile, Kurt Buenconsejo, the Regional Officer for Region VII of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), said they will be making sure that health and safety protocols will be complied with for the entire duration of the Cesafi.
But only fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed to be part of the Cesafi season.
“We have guidelines to follow, focusing in our area, but these are general guidelines based on our alert level. However, we will only allow fully vaccinated individuals to become part of the event. These individuals involved in the sports activities from the coaches, athletes, trainers, audience, and even the venue staff should be fully-vaccinated,” said Buenconsejo.
/bmjo
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