22-hour travel for Team Visayas

Even before the start of competition in the 7th National Milo Little Olympics, Team Visayas is expected go through a tough test on their patience.
This as the Bisdaks are set to embark on a grueling 22-hour sea voyage to Manila on Oct. 21 for the annual multi-sporting competition slated on Oct. 23 to 25 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
After the boat trip, the Visayan delegation will still have to travel for another couple of hours, depending on the traffic situation, from Manila to Laguna, adding stress to a team that will start competing the next day in the hopes of dethroning reigning national champions National Capital Region (NCR).
Talisay City swimming coach Rolando Remolino, whose wards will be competing in the event, is a bit worried but said it’s up to the coaches to make sure that their athletes are well rested.
“That’s really a big factor but as coaches, we would have to find ways to compensate for  the stress of long travels,” he said in a text message. “We just have to monitor them and make sure they’ll behave during the trip. We also have to find a place where they can sleep well and eat well.”
Of the 356 members of the team, 154 are athletes in the elementary division and 160 in the secondary division. There are also 42 coaches from both divisions.  Team Visayas is competing in 13 sporting events against rival NCR, Mindanao and Luzon.
Last year, Team Visayas placed second in the secondary division and topped the elementary division.
Team Visayas will be spearheaded by the newly-crowned 19th Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals secondary division champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) and elementary division four-peat champion University of San Carlos-Basic Education Department  (USC-BED).