Thursday, September 25, 2008 MisOr gets ready for POF, PBA events
IT'S all systems go for Misamis Oriental's hosting of the 2008 Philippine Olympic Festival national championship, even as renovation of the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center has yet to be completed.
"Preparation is now in full swing in as far as the POF hosting is concerned. The venue will be newly refurbished in time of the POF staging on December 11-16," said Maricel Casiño Rivera, head of the Provincial Information Office.
Temporarily closed for public use, the Pelaez Sports Center can boast of a tartan-like oval when major repair hits its deadline probably in early November.
A project of the Philippine Olympic Committee under the supervision of NSA-taekwondo chief, Robert Aventajado, the Philippine Olympic Festival hardly made an impact when it was held the last time at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
"We just hope that the province under the leadership of Governor Oscar S. Moreno can make a difference as this year's host of the POC project that has yet to prove its worth as something significant to grassroots sports development. Kay last year pag-adto namo sa Manila, wala miy makasabot kay adunay registration nga tag-P100 ang POF Pesti-bal pero wala may premyo o klaro nga mapadulngan ang mga atleta nga mandaug," one parent of a local athlete, observed.
Other than this, Misamis Oriental is also gearing up for the hosting of two PBA games, featuring the San Miguel Beer against Red Bull Barako on October 25 in Gingoog and Alaska Aces opposite Ginebra Kings on December 13 at the Xavier University gym here. (Lynde Salgados)
