Portions of CCSC oval gets repainted as track events loom

The Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) rubberized track oval. | File photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) rubberized track oval will have the 32nd Cebu City Olympics’ track events from January 3 to 5, but it will do so without the much-needed repainting of its lanes.

Francis Ramirez, the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division Sports Officer, said that while the track has undergone significant repairs, repainting is not included for the event.

The highly anticipated track and field competitions, including sprints and long-distance runs, were initially slated for December 13 but were rescheduled to accommodate the track’s curing period after major repairs. According to Ramirez, only the damaged portions of the oval will be repainted by the contractors.

READ: Cebu City Olympics: Track events that use oval moved to January

Despite this adjustment, the absence of accurate lane markings remains a point of concern, particularly given the controversy surrounding the track’s exact measurement earlier this year.

CCSC OVAL

The CCSC oval’s shortcomings came into sharp focus during Cebu City’s hosting of the Palarong Pambansa, where an independent survey revealed that the track fell 0.88 meters short of the standard 400-meter measurement. This discrepancy led to the nullification of 11 Palarong Pambansa meet records.

READ: ANS, UC lead 32nd Cebu City Olympics medal tally

Furthermore, the rubberized oval has sustained considerable damage, including torn rubber sections and uneven surfaces, following the Palarong Pambansa. This is despite being closed for more than a year for major renovations in preparation for the national meet.

Without the repainting, the Cebu City Olympics will likely not recognize new meet records. However, the victorious athletes will still advance to represent the perennial champions, the Cebu City Niños, at the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet in Bayawan City next year.

READ: Cebu City Sports Center track oval to undergo renovation… again

TRACK EVENTS

Despite the setbacks, anticipation remains high for the action-packed track events, which promise intense competition among Cebu City’s young athletes. These events are part of a larger multi-sport showcase that kicked off on December 13 and concluded on December 18 across various venues here.

In the secondary division, Abellana National School (ANS) has taken a commanding lead in the medal tally with 56 golds, 34 silvers, and 22 bronzes. The University of Cebu (UC) follows closely with 46 golds, 26 silvers, and 8 bronzes, while Unit 4 rounds out the top three with 25 golds, 31 silvers, and 24 bronzes.

The elementary division features a neck-and-neck race between Unit 8 and Unit 4, each with 22 gold medals. Unit 8 holds a slight edge, however, with 20 silvers compared to Unit 4’s 17.