MILO LITTLE NATIONAL OLYMPIC 2015 LAGUNA/OCT.23,2015:Central Visayas present during the opening of 7th MILO National Little Olympicn in Santa Cruz Laguna.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Santa Cruz, Laguna—Worn out after a grueling long trip from Cebu to this first class urban municipality known for its hot springs, some athletes of Team Visayas didn’t look quite good a day before the start of competition in the Milo Little Olympics National Finals.
Around 4 a.m. yesterday, eight buses arrived at the official billeting venue of team Visayas at the Lavista Resort in Pansol, Laguna carrying the exhausted Visayan delegation who had to go through a 22-hour sea travel from Cebu to Manila and another three-hour drive from Manila to Laguna.
Most of the athletes lacked sleep because of the sea sickness they experienced in their sea trip, especially after reaching the treacherous Mindoro seas.
“I caught a fever while we were still traveling at sea and most of my players were exhausted because the ferry to Manila was a bit delayed,” said Felix Poloyapoy Jr., the head coach of University of San Carlos-Basic Education (USC-BED) chess team. “I just hope my players will be able recover from the exhausting travel.”
Recovering, though, is not likely to be a problem, especially after athletes were rewarded with a well-deserved rest in the laid back environment of Lavista Resort. In fact, some athletes, were able to practice early yesterday as they prepare to engage in battle in this annual multi-sporting event that features 13 sporting events and two demo sports.
“Yes, it’s a very long and tiring trip but the athletes were rewarded with this beautiful resort and for sure they were already able to relax and get enough sleep in preparation for the two-day tough battle,” said Visayas regional finals organizer and delegation head Ricky Ballesteros.
Team Visayas is actually not new to this kind of situation. In the 2011 edition of this national meet, the team also took a 22-hour sea trip from Cebu to Manila and added another eight-hour road trip to Lingayen, Pangasinan. That team even went on to clinch the overall title, the third straight for the Bisdaks that netted them the Perpetual Trophy.
That was the last time Team Visayas won the meet as the National Capital Region (NCR) stopped the Bisdaks’ streak in 2012 in Marikina City then went on to win two more to also bag the Perpetual Trophy.
Ballesteros believes team Visayas can regain the crown this year.
“We have a very good line up of teams in the ball games and for sure they will deliver,” he said. “We got a strong reinforcement from Ilonggo teams and athletes because of the regional finals held in Iloilo last September so we won’t be short in talent.”
Meanwhile, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-ADC) basketball squad had one of its player’s credentials questioned by the screening committee. According to Ballesteros, Team Visayas officials will meet with the coaches and the committee to address the issue since he believes the player is very eligible to play.
Ballesteros isn’t releasing the name of the player to protect his identity.
The player in question replaced Joshua Sinclair. Sinclair did not enlist himself to play for the team in the national finals.
Yesterday’s opening ceremony was headed by Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez. Around 2,000 athletes and coaches from four delegations—NCR, Visayas, Luzon and Mindanao—paraded at the Laguna Sports Complex oval. Team Visayas’ trackster Mary Joy Loberanis and other multiple gold medalists from other regions carried the symbolic torch.