Baguio opens title retention bid in Caraa

BAGUIO City formally opened its title retention bid as the 2013 edition of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association goes full swing at the Apayao Sports Complex in Luna, Apayao.

The big city bets are set to go all out in defending the arnis boys and girls division, basketball girls, swimming competition for boys and girls, boxing and volleyball girls for the secondary division.

Baguio was also crowned champions in the men’s artistic gymnastics, women’s artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics.

“Last year kasi yung athletics medyo dalawa lang yung nakuha natin kaya kelangan bumawi,” said Department of Education- Baguio’s Fernando Eliponga.

The city is fielding a total of 400 athletes including 50 coaches for the weeklong competition as delegates coming from Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province have started arriving since the weekend.

“Ang problema lang namin ngayon dito eh di kami masyadong maka pag training ng maayos kasi umuulan pero so far maganda naman yung kondisyon ng mga bata,” added Eliponga.

Benguet will be the toughest competition for the city so far after snatching the overall crown in archery girls and volleyball boys as Abra snatched the basketball crown which Baguio lost for the second time after yielding to Kalinga in 2004 in the annual sports meet.

Apayao, on the other hand, is ready for the influx of student athletes together with their coaches and support crews for the annual sporting spectacle in the region.

It will be the first time the province of Apayao will be hosting the event after the completion of its more than P50 million sports complex.

“We are ready and we’re expecting around 10,000 visitors from all over the region,” said lawyer Xandred Claveria, Apayao Governor’s Office chief of staff.

Construction of the multi-million sports complex started as early as February last year after Kalinga Province hosted the yearly sporting conclave.

Aside from the sports complex, the billeting for close to 1,500 athletes from all over the region was also completed with the DepEd inspecting the athletes’ quarters for the weeklong competition which ends March 3.

The hosting of the annual Caraa was made possible after the province penned the Apayao Sports council, a program that aims to integrate all programs, projects and activates of national, regional and provincial offices toward the development of sports, particularly among the youth.

Apayao Gov. Elias Bulut Jr. earlier said the timely completion of the sports complex will help boost the chances of Apayao to continuously host various sports competitions to spur economic growth not only for the capital town but also for the province considering its domino impact on development in rural communities.