2011 CVIRAA meet comes off the wraps in Tagbilaran

Around 7,000 athletes in the elementary and secondary division will gather in Tagbilaran City today as the 2011 Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association comes off wraps with a well-prepared opening ceremony.

Before that, a solidarity meeting will be held this 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. In the afternoon, all delegates are invited to attend a Holy Mass at the Cathedral of San Jose at 1:30 p.m.

After the Mass, delegates will be asked to assemble at the Plaza Rizal just across the Cathedral in preparation for the parade to the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex, where the opening ceremonies will be held.

Dr. Danilo Villadolid of the Department of Education (DepEd) said the opening ceremony is a must-see event because a lot of effort went into its preparation.

The opening ceremony though will not have a long program because the athletes will have to rest early in preparation for the start of hostilities as early as 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

Villadolid, who was part of the screening committee, said there have been no disqualification so far, although they are still waiting for some of the requirements of some athletes who have yet to submit their National Statistics Office (NSO) certificates.

Villadolid, however, is confident that all athletes are qualified because those seeing action in the CVIRAA are the top finishers in their respective division and city meets.

The core of the Cebu City delegation, for example, is made up of the winners during this year’s Cebu City Olympics and a selection of those whose performances were exemplary except that their schools were not able to place in the overall top 3 finishers.

TITLE DEFENSE

Cebu City will be gunning for its 19th overall championship.

Last year, Cebu City retained its title in this regional meet after posting a total of 839.5 points.

The secondary teams accounted for a total of 488 points while the elementary wrapped up their campaign with 351.5 points.

The secondary dominated in arnis boys and girls; athletics boys and girls; badminton boys and badminton girls; baseball, basketball, chess boys and chess girls; football; rhythmic sportive gymnastics; softball; swimming boys; table tennis boys; taekwondo boys and taekwondo girls; tennis boys and girls; volleyball boys and girls.

They lost in archery boys and girls to Dumaguete; and both men’s artistic gymnastics (MAG) and women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG) to Lapu-Lapu.

The elementary team, on the other hand, shone in arnis girls; athletics boys; chess boys; football; MAG; WAG; softball; swimming boys and swimming girls; taekwondo boys and taekwondo girls and tennis boys and girls.

The Niños lost to Mandaue City in basketball, boxing to Lapu-Lapu and Talisay; and arnis boys; badminton boys; baseball; chess girls; RSG; sipa; table tennis girls and boys and volleyball boys and girls to second place overall champions Cebu Province.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Augustus “Joy” Young and Department of Education (DepEd) Sports Committee Cebu City Division chairman Ricky Ballesteros said they will be in Bohol to give support to the Niños.