Wednesday, April 09, 2008 Ilocos athletes set to leave for Palarong Pambansa
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- About 600 delegates composed of athletes and coaches will represent the Ilocos region in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa.
The annual national games will be held in Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan on April 20 to 26, 2008.
A member of one of the technical committees said they will be leaving early Wednesday for the screening of athletes from the different regions and to give the athletes ample time to train and familiarize themselves with the sports facilities.
The screening of athletes is a crucial stage before the actual games as there are regions known in switching athletes.
Accordingly, either the birth certificate is falsified or the name and picture in the athlete's information sheet does not match the athlete presented in person.
Meanwhile, it is not clear yet whether the appeal made by Dagupan City Schools Division sports coordinator Edel Abalos concerning his three swimmers has been acted upon by the sports committee of the Department of Education (DepEd) regional office.
Three swimmers from the city who won gold in the recent Ilocos Region Athletics Association (Iraa) meet held in Lingayen were stripped of their medals before the awarding ceremony.
Accordingly, the three also won in last year's Iraa and were chosen as representatives to the Palarong Pambansa held in Koronadal, South Cotabato.
Despite the assurance given by their respective parents of the swimmers presence in the sporting games, they allegedly failed to show up and participate in the competitions.
Abalos earlier said they should have been informed before the Iraa 2008 that their swimmers were disqualified from participating in the regional competition because of their no-show in the Palarong Pambansa last year.
He further said it is unfair and unjust that the swimmers were allowed to compete and later were stripped of the gold and were barred from attending the awarding ceremony.
While waiting for the decision, Abalos asked the parents of the swimmers to let them continue with their training.
The matter was supposed to be discussed during the Ilocos Region Sports Committee meeting last April 2. (LCMY/Sunnex)
