Watch out for the Ilonggo athletes.
This was the stern warning aired by 17th Milo Little Olympics Visayas Regional Finals head organizer Ricky Ballesteros who believes the Ilongo delegation will be the team to watch when the regional games unfold this weekend at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Ballesteros cited Negros Occidental’s strength in the team and individual events like taekwondo, football, track and field and athletics.
“The entry of teams and athletes from Ilo-ilo, Bacolod, Roxas City and Capiz will definitely give Cebu a run for its money,” said Balleteros, “but we will also benefit from their strength in the national finals this October in Marikina.”
Cebu squads have ruled the Regional Finals of the multi-sport meet while the Visayas region is the reigning three-time champion in the National Finals and owns the meet’s Perpetual Trophy.
Ilo-ilo National High School which won a number of gold medals in the recent Palarong Pambansa in Linggayen, Pangasinan heads the Ilonggo teams with its formidable football squad going up against 3rd Milo National Little Olympics football champion Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC).
Aside from Ilo-ilo NHS, Bacolod’s University of Saint La Salle is also a team to watch in the two weekend competition with its powerhouse taekwondo and track and field athletes.
The other Ilongo teams competing come from College of Saint John Roxas City, Saint Joseph High School and other Capiz squads.
UC EYES 17TH CROWN
University of Cebu (UC) topped last year’s secondary competition with 179 points – its 16th straight regional title – followed by ANS (126 points) and USC (99 pts) while USC-Basic Education Dept. (USC-BED) ruled the elementary division with 84.5 points followed by Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-ADC) with 51.25 points.
Meanwhile, Ballesteros revealed that the region will go for a four-peat in the National Finals to complete the full cycle of the four regions alternately hosting the event. Visayas officials consider the National Capital Region (NCR) as the Bisdaks’ biggest hurdle towards this goal.
NCR’s regional finals was moved to Sept. 1 due to massive flooding in the past months, informed Milo Executive Robbie De Vera.
7,000 DELEGATES
Meanwhile, a record 7,000 athletes will compete in the Regional Finals with football to start immediately after this Friday’s opening ceremonies at the CCSC.
Some 20 teams are competing in the secondary division while 19 squads are battling for the elementary title.
Marvin Ruelan, chess tournament manager also informed during yesterday’s meet launching that the event will start late to give way to the Visayas leg of the Shell National Active Youth Chess Tournament also happening this weekend at the SM City Cebu.
Meanwhile, the side events like cheer dance and the search for the Milo Little Olympics muses are expected to add color and excitement to the opening ceremony.
Twelve teams will vie in the cheer dance contest while 70 candidates will compete in the secondary and elementary division pageant in the opening rites scheduled to start at 1 p.m.