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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Nat'l basketball championship to boost provincial tourism
By Angeline Valencia
ABOUT 1,000 guests from 31 collegiate men's teams, eight collegiate women's teams and 17 high school teams will flood the province for the 59th National Inter-Collegiate Secondary Basketball Championship on February 27 to March 5.
Games will be played in Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center, Silliman University gym, Foundation University gym, Salma Sports and Cultural Center in Tanjay, Zamboanguita Coliseum, Sta. Catalina gym, and Bayawan City.
Opening ceremonies will at 8 a.m. on February 27 in Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Center.
"This is one of the best ways we can sell our province," according to Governor George Arnaiz who was, at first, hesitant to have the big event here, but relented after officials of the Basketball Association of the Philippines wrote again, asking for reconsideration.
The Provincial Government allocated P1 million for the games to be held in Dumaguete City, while the local governments of Bayawan, Sta. Catalina, Zamboanguita and Tanjay will shoulder the expenses for the games in their places.
Buddy Ravello, provincial sports coordinator, said one of the conditions agreed was to bring the games to the countryside.
Eight teams will play alternately for two nights in Bayawan and Sta. Catalina. Games will also be held for two nights in Zamboanguita and two nights in Tanjay City.
Ravello added that officials of the hosting local government units were glad that bringing basketball to the countryside would give the constituents an opportunity to witness a collegiate-caliber games.
Bayawan City Vice Mayor Rene Gaudiel and Tanjay City Administrator Reynaldo Teves assured that all the facilities are readied and that security measures had been set to maintain peace and order.
The event will be the first time bigger sporting event comes to the province, according to Glynda T. Descuatan, co-chair of the organizing committee and the event's management board.
The governor also wants to test the province's capacity to possibly bid for the hosting of national events in the future, she added.
She said the athletes will be treated to campus tours and other destinations.
Descuatan said they had already coordinated with tour guides and owners of restaurants and arranged for possibly offering budget meals or discounts to athletes and rest of the teams' staff.
Teves, for his part, said that after the games, local officials will treat the athletes to the city's entertainment destinations.
On the other hand, hosting big events encourages local government units to improve their sports facilities.
Ravello said Zamboanguita, Bayawan and Tanjay are now rubberizing their courts.
(February 24, 2005 issue)
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