Undisputed Champs

Linggayen, Pangasinan—For the third straight year, Team Visayas remained the best team in the National Milo Little Olympics.

The Bisdaks banked on their performance in ball games to rule this annual national multi-sporting event for elementary and high school athletes for the third consecutive year.

This grand-slam feat bagged for the powerhouse Visayas the coveted Perpetual Trophy.

“Our journey from Cebu to Linggayen was not wasted,” said Visayas delegation head Ricky Ballesteros shortly after celebrating the Bisdak’s were proclaimed overall champions.

“I was right from the beginning, that our team sports will surely bring Visayas on top,” added Ballesteros.

The team’s domination in ball games in the final day of the tournament keyed Visayas’ winning run en route to a total of  639.5. Its elementary team wound up with 340 points while its secondary squad had 299.5.

NCR was at second for the third straight time as it managed to score 598.5 points off 288 from its elementary squad and 310.5 from its secondary athletes.

Team Mindanao had 359 points to settle for third while host team Luzon was at last place with 322 points.

The Bisdaks won the maiden title of the Milo Nationals in Cebu and successfully defended their title last year in Cagayan de Oro City.

BIG IMPROVEMENT

While team sports was Visayas’ main weapon, its athletics bets were a big improvement at the Narciso Sports and Civic Center.

Visayas stepped up in the track and field event this year as it harvested 18 gold medals from the elementary and secondary divisions.

Visayas’ secondary division athletics team dominated seven events yesterday while the secondary girls won four. Its elementary girls and boys finished with three wins but only settled for second place to NCR in athletics alone.

Visayas’ swimming team was also a huge improvement as it managed 10 gold medals.

But it was in ball games where Visayas pulled away.

The Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) elementary and secondary booters overwhelmed their respective foes to win the gold and contribute 25 points each.

Visayas’ volleyball team from the Catmon Elementary School, Colegio Del Santo Niño and the Pajo National High School ruled their respective championship games en route to giving Visayas’ a whopping 100 points.

Team Visayas also dominated the scrabble competition mixed categories worth 25 points. The Sipa team from Catmon Elementary School also staged a lopsided performance to earn 15 points. In badminton, the highly touted Banilad Elementary School emerged without a single loss to top the competition worth 30 points.

Visayas’ wood pushers finished third in the elementary girls and boys but topped the secondary boys and placed second in the girls secondary competition.

In tennis, Visayas ruled the boys secondary division worth 15 points while Mindanao placed first in the girls secondary division.

BE PREPARED

NCR delegation head Robert Milton Calo, meanwhile, said Visayas should be well prepared for next year’s event that will be hosted by NCR in Marikina City.

“I knew Visayas prepared to retain their championship,” he said.  “I have seen this for the third time this year. But homecourt advantage is a huge factor in all kinds of competition so I advice them to prepare themselves for 2012.”

The main reason for NCR falling short anew was because of the lack of experience.

“We are weak this year because most of the newly included athletes who won the regional finals last August are newbies. We didn’t have any other choice but to face the inevitable,” added Calo.

Ballesteros, on the other hand, said that Visayas has not yet completed its mission.

“We want to win the full cycle of all the four hosting cities,” said Ballesteros.

Meanwhile, Luzon’s officiating committee was questioned by the Visayas and NCR teams after receiving tons of complaints in gymnastics and taekwondo.

Ballesteros questioned a volleyball official because of poor calls while parents of Visayas’ jins also complained of poor judging in the competition held at the CSI Mall in Dagupan City. But the save for those minor problems, the event went well with Pangasinan officials successfully showing off their rich culture.