Stranded Bisdaks promise to reclaim overall title in2013

MANILA — As if losing the overall title in the recent 4th Milo Little Olympics National Finals is not enough, Visayas athletes suffered a double whammy after they were not allowed to sail back home on Monday.

The Philippine Coast Guard did not allow the MV Saint Michael the Archangel of the Negros Navigation to sail due to Typhoon Ofel which is ravaging the eastern part of Visayas.

Stranded and bored notwithstanding, the athletes still managed to smile despite the bad situation they are in. However, some parents are already complaining about the unenviable situation.

“The ship’s management and the coast guard said that we will just have to wait here until it’s safe to sail. We will just wait until they give the go signal. We will not risk the safety of the children,” said Visayas delegation head Ricky Ballesteros.

One Team Visayas coach is very worried since her daughter still has a pending presentation in Cebu and she was not around to help her. Her story is very similar to everyone else in the ship who have work and other commitments waiting back home.

Around 350 athletes and coaches are still onboard the ship which was supposed to arrive in Cebu last Tuesday night yet.

Team Visayas has been given extended billeting in a hotel in Quezon City last Tuesday which was shouldered by the shipping company. The team’s arrival in Manila was also delayed resulting in a sloppy performance that relegated the Bisdaks to second overall behind archrival NCR in the two-day competition.

BILLETING COMPLAINTS

During the games, coaches complained about the long trip to the competition venues resulting in tired and exhausted players. From the hotel in Santa Mesa, Quezon City it will take more than an hour of travel to reach Marikina.

“Most of my players complained of dizziness and headache because of the fumes from the vehicles and the heavy traffic. We sacrificed a lot just to get to the venue,” said Visayas elementary badminton head coach Eddie Estoconing.

NCR delegation head, Dr. Robert Milton Calo said the nearest hotel available is in Quezon City since the Luzon delegation occupied the hotel in Marikina.

However, all these hardships have only made the Bisdaks more determined to reclaim the crown. They vowed after the awarding ceremonies last Sunday that NCR will taste a humiliating defeat when Cebu hosts the National Finals next year.