Cebu dropped as host

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia came to Cebu bearing some bad and some good news.

During a press conference the other day at the Port Restaurant at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, Garcia announced Cebu’s hosting of the Asian Beach Games in 2012 was canceled.

However, in 2013, Cebu will still get a chance to host a much bigger event, the centennial celebration of the Asian Games.

Cebu was supposed to be the center of activities for the beach games.

“The Asian Games will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013. Historically, the Philippines hosted the very first Asian Games in 1913, when it was still called the Oriental Games and organizers saw it fit to celebrate it where it first started,” said Garcia.

The Asian Games is the biggest sports conclave in Asia, joined by all the Asian nations. In the modern times, the Asian Games, done every four years, hosts around 40 sports.

In its inaugural year, there were only seven sports. The year 2013 is not an Asian Games year, and since the activity is only a celebration of its 100th year, they will only host 10 events.

Aside from Cebu, the other venue will be in Boracay.

“It will be a major get-together of all officials of all Asian countries and ministers of sports,” said Garcia.

Garcia was supposed to talk to the heads of Cebu City and Cebu Province to discuss the update but the officials were not available.

“It will be a great challenge and honor for Cebu to host. And we are very ready for it,” said Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Eduard Hayco.

The PSC also extended support to the CCSC for its grassroots development program and especially for its attempt to make another entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest chess tournament in November.

“One of the mandates of the PSC is to help the grassroots. We want as many kids to get into the sporting lifestyle to get them away from drugs. Studies show that only five percent of Filipino kids are into sports but six percent are using drugs. These are the statistics that we want to change,” said Garcia.