CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu athletes are now busy prepping for this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Luckily, they agreed to a quick chat with CDNDigital through the only and longest running sports talk show in Cebu, CDNSportstalk, to share their preparations for the much awaited national meet.
Palarong Pambansa will officially open on Tuesday, July 9, at the Cebu City Sports Center.
The PALARONG PAMBANSA 2024: A CDN DIGITAL SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE is in partnership with:
- DITO Telecommunity
- Filipino Homes
- Primary Homes Inc.
- San Lucas Medical Minglanilla
- The Hospital at Maayo
- The Outlets at Pueblo Verde
- Visayan Electric Co.
- Wellness Hub at Maayo
READ: Palarong Pambansa 2024 will be a Palaro of many firsts
This will already be the third time for the Queen City of the South to host the annual inter-regional multi-sports competition for student-athletes from the different elementary and secondary schools in the country.
READ: Palarong Pambansa 2024 billeting quarters ready to house delegates
It’s been 30 years since the city last hosted the Palaro. Cebu City also hosted the meet in 1954 and 1994.
The Palaro is a prestigious sporting meet that features a wide range of sports, including athletics, swimming, basketball, volleyball, and more.
READ: VP Sara to attend Palarong Pambansa 2024 opening event
Here are some of the CDN SportsTalk episodes featuring Cebu’s Palaro-bound athletes:
USJ-R Jaguars volleyball teams
The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) will represent Central Visayas in the volleyball games of the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Its girls and boys team, coached by the legendary Roldan Potot, will be looking to give Central Visayas the gold medal in this meet.
In an episode of CDN SportsTalk, the team, represented by their coach and captains, said they are ready for the competition and see the National Capitol Region as among its top contenders.
Watch their interview here:
Mike Gabrielle Dela Serna
Another swimmer to watch out for in sporting meets. Gab, as he is called by his friends and family, shared with CDN Digital that he was introduced to this sport by his sister, who was part of the swimming varsity team in their school. Fast forward to today, Gab will be representing Central Visayas to showcase his backstroke swimming prowess in the Palarong Pambansa.
Even with the many medals that he has earned as a swimmer for almost ten years, Gab thinks that he still needs to improve on his strength and speed.
Chelsea Beronga and Vince Michael Dino
They are two athletes who are beginning to make a name in a sport that not so many may know about, walkathon. Walkathon is different from running. In running, the feet can be off the ground at the same time, but in walkathon, one foot should be off the ground while the other foot touches the ground.
The distance for walkathon races in the Philippines is between two to 10 kilometers.
Abellana National High School Girls Basketball team
CDNSportstalk had the chance to meet with two of the key players of the Abellana National High School Girls Basketball team: Zaydhen Rosano and Jesrica Kitkat Tenebro. These talented athletes were accompanied by their coach Darwin Dinoy, and their assistant principal Girlie Alberio. The team will be representing Central Visayas, with the singular goal of bringing home the gold medal. To ensure that they are in peak condition for the games, the team has been training both mornings and afternoons.
After the Palaro, Zaydhen will be playing for the National University Lady Bulldogs, taking a significant step towards achieving her dreams as a basketball player.
Sean Kyle R. Carrillo
Sean Kyle R. Carrillo is one of the rising middle-distance runners in Cebu. The 15-year-old runner from Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City, is among the top runners of the University of Cebu Track and Field team.
He will be racing in the 800-meter event, hoping to not only win the gold, but also beat his personal best of 2:01.66.
These are just some of the many Central Visayas athletes who will be showcasing their skills and talents in their respective sporting event for this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
CDN Digital wishes every athlete, who will be participating in this year’s Palaro, a safe and enjoyable experience.