Davao athletes arrive in Dapitan for Palaro

Friday, May 6, 2011

CEBU CITY -- The 554-member Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) delegation arrived safely on Thursday afternoon in Dapitan City despite the arduous 14-hour bus trip from Davao City.

Physical Education and School Sports (Pess) supervisor Jimmy Cerojales, in an interview over the phone with Sun.Star Davao, said the trip went without a hitch although it was earlier feared that the long journey would affect athletes' performance when the 2011 Palarong Pambansa formally opens on Sunday at the JRMSU Sports Complex.

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"The trip went okay. The athletes are all well and healthy. We don't see any problem with their condition. They are all fit to compete," Cerrojales said.

He said the region's athletes were still being interviewed for the final screening of their eligibility as of Friday.

Davraa is billeted at the Jose Rizal Elementary School (JRES) and Jose Rizal National High School (JRNHS), schools which are 26 kilometers away from the JRMSU sports complex where elementary and secondary swimming, elementary and secondary athletics, elementary and secondary football, secondary boys baseball, elementary boys basketball and secondary boys tennis will be held.

Cerrojales said their quarters are clean and nice. But their location is 54 kilometers away from the JRMSU, Municipality of Katipunan that will host the secondary boys baseball competition.

"Our secondary baseball team will have to eat breakfast and leave the quarters early. They will have to bring their lunch packs, too, because there is no way they can come back to take lunch at the quarters with the long distance of their venue," Cerrojales said.

The Municipality of Piñan, which is 14 kilometers away from the Davraa quarters, is the nearest venue. It will stage the elementary sipa and secondary sepak takraw events.

Zamboanga del Norte Sports Complex, meanwhile, is 40 kilometers away from the Davraa quarters. It is venue for archery, elementary baseball, secondary boys basketball, chess and table tennis.

Most delegations have arrived in Dapitan City for the nationwide sportsfest for elementary and secondary athletes.

Media people from all over the country are also set to cover the Palaro.

Sun.Star Davao and Sun.Star Cebu coverage teams are set to arrive Saturday in the Shrine City of the Philippines via a six-hour Ocean Jet trip from Cebu City.