Palarong Pambansa’s first Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet will be co-hosted by Cebu City and Mandaue City.
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) teams are ready to square off against visiting regions in the Palarong Pambansa’s first Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet which unfolds tomorrow, June 14, 2023, in various venues in Cebu City and Mandaue City.
Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City’s division sports coordinator Francis Ramirez who is also one of the organizers of the Palarong Pambansa pre-qualifying cluster meet said that CVIRAA teams, particularly Cebu City Niños teams are ready to do battle in the three-day event.
CVIRAA will have 60 athletes that will be divided into various teams vying in eight batted and ball sports.
The sports are volleyball, softball, basketball, sepak takraw, futsal, baseball, softball, and football.
The opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday at 3:00 PM at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USP-F) which is also hosting the volleyball and softball competitions.
“Ang atong mga teams ug athletes naa sa ilahang divisions nag prepare kay dili naman ni siya selection pareho sauna. Solid teams naman ang moduwa ani ang kadtong team nga nidaog sa CVIRAA. Ila-ila na ang mga training ug preparation, pero dako kaayo ko ug pagsalig nga dako ta ug chance maka qualify sa mga sports,” said Ramirez.
“One factor ani ang homecourt advantage bisan ang uban CVIRAA teams wala sa Cebu City, pero naa sila ga training ani nga mga venues. Ang uban qualifiers sa Palarong Pambansa kadtong mga individual events ongoing ang ilahang training.”
Cebu City’s competing teams in the Palarong Pambansa cluster meets are Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) high school and elementary boys football teams, Abellana National School (ANS) girls high school basketball team, ANS sepak takraw team, ANS baseball team, USP-F high school volleyball boys, and University of Cebu (UC) girls high school squad.
Meanwhile, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles which represents CVIRAA’s high school boys’ basketball and high school girls’ futsal will be hosting these events as well as sepak takraw.
SHS-AdC athletic director Jon Ralph Jiao Inot told CDN Digital that they didn’t hesitate when Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman John Pages asked them if they can host some of the events of the Palarong Pambansa cluster meet.
“When John Pages of CCSC approached me to ask if we were willing to host the 1st ever pre-Palaro cluster games I said why not?! That would be an honor for us to be part of a first-ever event,” said Inot.
“Our Magis Eagles basketball team and futsal team will be the ones representing Region 7, it would be good for us to showcase not only our talents but also where our student-athletes study and train. So with the approval of our father President Fr. Mike Pineda, we agreed to the hosting of basketball, futsal, and sepak takraw. Hosting these events also gives us the opportunity to share a tagline close to our hearts which is “kalaro kita, hindi kalaban”.”
Around 1,300 athletes from four regions will be vying in the eight featured sports in the Palarong Pambansa qualifying meet. /rcg
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