CEBU CITY -- Davao City athletes, who already received their meal allowances Friday evening, can now focus on their bid for glory as action in the Philippine National Games (PNG) 2018 kicks off Saturday in different venues here.
Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office staff Cindy Cruz, on the sidelines of the solidarity meeting of athletes and coaches at the Cebu City Sports Center badminton gym here Saturday, said traffic and distances of different billeting centers of city athletes in different sports made it impossible for them to release the allowances earlier.
The 150-member city delegation arrived here Thursday in two batches.
“Our delegates are housed in about 15 billeting areas based on where their playing venues are located so we made rounds and finished releasing the allowances as of 11 p.m. yesterday. The Friday traffic here was also terrible so we could not really reach them soonest since each coach and athlete will have to sign the payroll,” Cruz told SunStar Davao.
Competition venues include Cebu City Sports Center (athletics, swimming), Mandaue Sports Complex (archery), Danao Track Oval (archery), Metro Sports Lahug (badminton), New Cebu Coliseum (boxing), Robinson’s Galleria (chess, dancesports, table tennis), USC North Campus Gym (judo), SM Seaside (karatedo, taekwondo), ACAC-City of Naga (sepak takraw), Mactan Airbase Lapu Lapu (softball), City Green Tennis Courts (men’s tennis), Naga Tennis Court (women tennis), Tabuelan City (triathlon), Fort San Pedro (beach volleyball), Sports Institute (men’s volleyball), USC Main Campus Gym (women’s volleyball), Naga (weightlifting) and Danao City (cycling).
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, during the solidarity meeting, thanked the coaches and technical officials for taking part in the Games.
“The success of the Games lies in all of us,” Fernandez, the oversight commissioner-in-charge of the PNG, said as he urged everyone to cooperate.
PNG 2018 Working Committee overall chairman Edward Hayco underscored the importance of winning friends not just medals.
He also encouraged them to witness the elaborate opening ceremonies set in the afternoon with 1,000 volunteer performers. “It is something you won’t forget for the rest of your lives,” the Cebu City Sports Commission chief added.