Team Visayas seeks third win in Milo Little Olympics

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The Visayas Team’s goal is to nail their third over-all championship of the 3rd Milo Little Olympics and bring home the Perpetual Trophy.

But the team may find that difficult.

After all, the National Capital Region Team has vowed to improve last year's performance, win the over-all championship, and block the Visayas Team's attempt from capturing the Perpetual trophy, which is awarded to the team that has won for three straight years.

Robert Milton Calo, NCR executive director, said compared last year, their team is stronger now and they are fielding players/athletes in almost all the events.

For his part, Visayas Executive Director Ricardo Ballesteros said in jest that the Perpetual Trophy will be brought home to Cebu/Visayas where it rightly belongs.

All these efforts and jibes are undertaken in the spirit of friendly competition, as pointed out by Pat Goc-Ong, Nestle Assistant Vice President and Milo Sports Executive.

“Our commitment is to inspire and help develop athletes toward not merely becoming sports champions but also, and perhaps more important, growing up as better citizens by adopting a healthy physical and mental lifestyle through our activities,” he remarked.

“Our main goal is to bring out in every child the deepest ideals of sportsmanship, such as respect for others and self, discipline, teamwork, integrity, resiliency and perseverance, even as we hone their potential for greatness in all the 12 sports represented in this event,” he added.

Meanwhile, Luzon Executive Director Tess Bernardino thanked Governor Amado Espino Jr. for the all out support and for hosting here in the province of Pangasinan the 3rd Milo Little Olympics National Finals.

She added that Pangasinan had in fact been dubbed as the home of the Milo Little Olympics as the regional competitions (covering Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region) has been held here for the past 14 years since its introduction.

There are 1,400 athletes competing for medals in the 12 sporting disciplines -- athletics, swimming, tennis, taekwondo, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, gymnastics, football, chess, sepak takraw and scrabble.

The Most Outstanding Athlete in each event will each receive a Plaque of Recognition, a unique jacket, P10,000 worth of scholarship and one year supply of Milo.

Meanwhile, Technical Director Bart Teneza (himself and official at Deped Region1) said such national competition exposes coaches and technical officials are exposed to higher level of officiating, among others. (Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre/Sunnex)