Cebu City and school officials are confident that the city will retain the CVIRAA overall title it has held since 1994 as the regional meet unfurls on Monday in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Augustus “Joy” Young and Department of Education (DepEd) Sports Committee Cebu City Division chairman Ricky Ballesteros both agree that the short span of time between the recentl 3rd Milo Little Olympics National Finals and the CVIRAA meet will not affect Cebu City’s campaign to clinch its 19th overall championship.
Some of the top athletes which represented Visayas in the Milo Olympics will also be playing for the Cebu City delegation.
The Visayas delegation which bagged the Milo perpetual trophy for dominating the multi-sporting event for the third time, arrived just last Wednesday after they were stranded for 18 hours at the Manila pier. The Marina had suspended Super Ferry vessels after one of its ships figured in an accident.
The incident left the athletes just a day before they have to leave again for Bohol as early as 7 a.m. today in three batches.
However, Cebu City School Division PESS supervisor Timoteo Valmoria said that they have allowed athletes who were part of the Visayas Milo delegation to leave for Bohol later to allow them time to regain their strength.
ENOUGH TIME TO REST
Young said he believed the athletes have ample time to rest because the games will start on Tuesday yet. He added that he is very confident that Cebu City will have a good performance based on the Milo National Finals.
Ballesteros agreed saying that Bohol is not far and they could rest on the boat ride which would only take about four hours.
He said that the 2-3 days will be enough time for the athletes to rest and to familiarize themselves with the playing venues.
“They are still in high spirits for winning the perpetual trophy, so they will be banking on that,” he added.
Ballesteros, however, said that he is encouraging Cebu City athletes to pad their points because second placer Cebu Province and the other squads have been closing the gap.
Last year, Cebu City posted 839.5 points while Cebu Province accumulated 551.75 points. The province has Milo champions Catmon for elementary volleyball and Don Bosco Boys Home for football.
Lapu-Lapu City also has the Pajo National High School and Mandaue is backed by athletes from the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC).
These are the same athletes who beefed up the Visayas campaign in the Milo Olympics.