Iligan plays host to clustered meet

Thursday, November 24, 2011

WITH less excitement on their faces, the Cagayan de Oro athletes and their coaches left Wednesday for Iligan to compete in the first ever 2011 NMRAA Palarong Pampook Clustered Meet.

In her memorandum to Schools Division Superintendent Myrna S. Motoomull, DepEd-10 Director Luz S. Almeda stated that at least 5 events in basketball, volleyball, arnis, chess and table tennis will be hosted by the City of Waterfalls from November 25 to 27.

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Baseball, boxing and softball competitions were already concluded Wednesday in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. While the largest number of sports disciplines in what considered by majority of the region's Palaro veterans as an "experimental clustered meet" will be played in Cagayan de Oro.

These are the remaining events in swimming, athletics, football, lawn tennis, archery, gymnastics, taekwondo, football, badminton, sipa takraw and the Special Games for special school children largely to be contested at Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center.

The clustered meet, which will determine Northern Mindanao's representatives in the annual Palarong Pambansa, drew criticisms from some parents of the athletes, coaches and even officials of the Cagayan de Oro Athletics Association (COAA).

Majority of them viewed the innovative scheme as an affront to the Palaro's old tradition filled with so much joy and excitement.

"Katag-katag na ang mga dula so, kulang na ang kabibo ug kasadya ingon nga dili na ma-feel ang unity and camaraderie among the participants which used to be the main essence of the Palaro Meet," said COAA reliable Eulogio Suaner Jr.