|
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
2005 Nat'l Prisaa opens
* What we need right now is to search for an athlete willing to dedicate a portion of his life in training, says Peping Cojuangco
* We need to have an athlete with that particular mental attitude for us to win that elusive gold in the Olympics, Cojuangco says
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Peping Cojuangco gave Monday the different athletes a reason to hope for a brighter future in their chosen fields of sports as he bared the plans for the future of Philippine sports.
Speaking before an estimated crowd of more than two thousand spectators, including the athletes and officials of the 15 regional delegations in Monday's opening day ceremony of the 2005 National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Games at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, Cojuangco told the athletes that their future in Philippine sports begins in the Prisaa.
The Philippine Equestrian Association president Cojuangco, who was present in the ceremony alongside Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Leon Montemayor, Prisaa Board of Trustee member Emmanuel Angeles, Prisaa National president Reverend Father William H. Kreutz, S.J. and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, said that as president of the POC, his program is one that propagates and encourages more Filipinos to engage in sports.
"One of the POC's more important programs is the one that encourages more Filipinos into sports. Nakakasawa na yung parati nating sinasabi sa ating sarili tuwing may international competition na 'hay salamat at nakasali rin ako kaya lang hindi nanalo," said Cojuangco, who added that the Philippines needs to emulate what the Chinese government is presently doing in its sports program if the Filipinos hope to win that first elusive gold in the coming 2008 Beijing Olympics.
With this, Cojuangco bared that during his recent visit to China, where the Philippines has forged an agreement with the Chinese sports officials to allow some of Filipino athletes to train there in preparation for the coming Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines will host this November, he saw some slogans there with sayings that should be the ones emulated by the Filipino athletes.
"In China, I saw slogans that read, "This is for Our Country" and "This is from our Country". What the Chinese are saying in these slogans are the things that the Filipino athletes should have in mind."
"What we need right now is to search for an athlete willing to dedicate a portion of his life in training and in preparation in order to achieve that first-ever gold in the Olympics. And with this, we need to have an athlete with that particular mental attitude for us to win that elusive gold in the Olympics," Cojuangco said.
This mental attitude, Cojuangco added, is vital for an athlete as the latter can't rely solely on his or her ability and skills to win in international competitions but also in the latter's determination and spirit to overcome the odds.
Cojuangco likewise bared the country's plans of building a centralized training center in Clark Field, where Prisaa Board of Trustee member Emmanuel "Manny" Angeles has promised to provide 25 hectares of land.
Presently, Cojuangco said that the country has already hired the services of some foreign coaches and training officials for the Filipino athletes set to compete in the 2005 Sea Games like the Chinese mentors for swimming, diving and badminton as well as trainers and coaches from Russia and Australia.
Aside from this, Cojuangco added that they've also already hired nutritionists for the athletes' diet and doctors, who could provide the Filipino athletes the right vitamins.
Meanwhile, after the parade by all the delegates from the Pettit Barracks going into the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, formal hostilities started Monday in all the 13 sports disciplines in different venues around the city.
WVPrisaa
The Western Visayas Prisaa was on the watch over the many athletes who are competing in the games.
The Negros team composes the most numbers of athletes competing in the games when they captured most of the championship games held at Iloilo City last February.
The Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association contingent won the crown in the women's athletics, men's badminton, men and women chess, men's lawn tennis, women swimming, men and women's table tennis, men and women's tae kwon do and women's volleyball.
The Negros team will tie up with the delegations from Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan to compose the Western Visayas delegation.
Nopsscea president Fr. Emilio Jaruda, OAR wishes the athletes as well as the coaches good disposition in their participation in the games.
"I also wish them victory for the honor of the Western Visayas contingent as a whole. They may observe the rules of the games," Jaruda said.
Ericson Rios, Nopsscea deputy chairman for the tertiary level, said that officiating officials for the game, especially in the chess events would probably be from Manila.
He further said that he would field three of his wards in the women's chess event with another player from WNC.
The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Rams who will compete in the women's chess event are Marvi Jamero, Mara Gareza and Jocelyn Go while Annie Montales from WNC completes the pack.
The women's volleyball team will be coached by Philippine Volleyball Federation president Roger Banzuela.
Banzuela said that they would face the team from Region 2 at 2:30 p.m. today while the men's delegation will battle Region 9 at 9:30 a.m.
They will play at the Joaquin Enriquez Sports Complex Outdoor Court.
Cebu Prisaa
Athletes of the Prisaa-7 delegation, headed by Prisaa 7 president Reverend Father Vic Uy and athletics directors Camilo Go (USP), Dioscoro Himotas (USJ-R) and Bernard Ricablanca (UC), on the other hand start their quest for glory in all events except sepak takraw and some athletics events, which have been cancelled due to lack of equipment of the host city.
Set to see action in the finals in Men's athletics are University of Cebu's Joseph Codino for the 10,000 meter run, Alden Amora for javelin throw, Edward Encontro for long jump, Adeson Gerson and University of Southern Philippines' Timoteo Margaha for 100m, Michael Kenn Lopez for 800m and Margaha and UC's Sandy Cahutay for the 110m hurdles.
In the distaff side, set to see action in the finals are University of San Jose Recoletos' Rodelyn Compañero and Mary Rose Arman for Women's javelin throw while the others are still in the semifinals this morning.
The swimming team is also set for action alongside the Men's basketball team, composed of the University of the Visayas Green Lancers, who will be going up against the Cagayan (Region 10) cagers at 10:30 a.m., and the Women's cage team, composed of players from UC, Silliman and USC, who will battle host Zamboanga at 7 a.m.
The other events to be competed in the weeklong sportsfest at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex are baseball, lawn tennis (M/W), sepak takraw, softball (W) and volleyball (M/W).
Ateneo de Zamboanga University, on the other hand, will host the badminton, taekwondo, Mutya ng Prisaa selection and the vocal solo competitions while the Pilar College and the Claret High School will be hosting the table tennis and the chess events respectively.
Six other venues--the Zaec-IHK Open Court, Zamboanga City Gymnasium, Wicas Covered Court, Santa Maria field, Icas Covered Court and the Lim Bros. Badminton Court--are being readied as alternate venues.(JSV)
(April 12, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
