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Thursday, October 30, 2003
Oyson: Dancesport in Tubod 2005?
By Manuel N. Oyson Jr.
Counter Punch
WHAT did I say before regarding the oft-postponed Palarong Pamabansa which just ended? That mostly Mindanao athletes would be involved. That it would be a continuation of the 3rd Mindanao Friendship Games in Mati, Davao Oriental, which also terminated just a day before the Palaro opened finally in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
I was not mistaken. Of the participants, six regions were from Mindanao, including the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARRM), Caraga Region and the new Zamboanga Peninsula (first time I heard of it). The only regions outside Mindanao were Bicol, Cordillera Administrative Region and Eastern Visayas. There was only a token representation from Central Luzon (Region 2).
SPLIT. Powerhouses National Capital Region and Western Visayas were absent, although it is reported that NCR had already received the full P2 million subsidy from the Philippine Sports Commission. Southern Tagalog was reportedly split into Calabarzon (Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) and Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).
True to its earlier stand, Central Visayas refused to participate in the national students games because of the safety concerns earlier aired by the parents.
That nothing untoward happened in and around the Palaro competition site during the meet, is a tribute to the efforts of the PNP, military, organizers and provincial officials of Lanao del Norte to keep the games trouble-free.
PARANOID. Maybe, the secessionists rebels just wanted to keep their word.
We cannot blame the Cebuanos, including Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and DepEd 7’s Gloria Pinili, for being paranoid about the safety of Cebu athletes. I doubt if those who did not go to Tubod would ever regret their decision, especially those who are already in college. Indeed, some college freshmen students were allowed to return to their respective schools to compete. As they say, safety is always the best policy.
Because of the mild success of the games in Tubod, Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo has reiterated her earlier offer for the Mindanao Civic Center to stage some of the events of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games which the Philippines will host. That offer is now on the lap of POC president Celso Dayrit. But I just want to know if swimming or dancesport needs a sparkling new P500 million, 18-hectare facility to stage.
That is what the provincial executive requests – to hold dancesport or swimming. I would not know the feeling of the popular Cebu couple, Edward and Eleonor Hayco, about dancing in the boondocks. They have just been crowned champion in the South Pacific Dancesport Competition, Level 1, Master Standard Category, in Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia.
HIRIT. We have not heard from our law colleague, Frank Malilong Jr, talking about local basketball in a long time. Well, a short item in Sports Today last Monday quoted him as saying that Cebu basketball “never supported the illegitimate Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) at all.”
Frank used to be a regional director of the BAP under Lito Puyat. His statement was made after basketball leaders from Western Visayas threw their full backing to the court-recognized Bapi under Nicanor Jorge.
(October 30, 2003 issue)
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