MAMBAJAO, Camiguin -- Cagayan de Oro retained its status as the reigning champion in the just-concluded weeklong Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) meet held here December 12 to 16.
The Cagayan de Oro Athletic Association (COAA) bagged a total of 120 gold, 76 silver and 62 bronze medals.
In the elementary level, Cagayanon athletes garnered 55 gold medals, 35 silver, and 17 bronze.
For the secondary level, the winning division got 65 gold medals, 41 silver, 45 bronze.
Bukidnon took the runner-up honor with 42 gold, 42 silver, and 49 bronze medals, Lanao del Norte with 42, 32, and 37, Misamis Oriental with 32, 41, 48, Iligan City with 32, 38, 56.
Valencia City, 19, 25, 27, Tangub, 17, 9, 12; Misamis Occidental, 14, 25, 25; Malaybalay, 11, 27, 34.
Camiguin, 8, 11, 19, Gingoog, 5, 4, 10, Oroquieta, 3, 2, 4; El Salvador, 2, 4, 10, and Ozamiz, 0, 3, 10.
Earlier, COAA athletic manager Rosalio Vitorillo has expressed optimism they can obtain 100 gold medals, but with the overall total, he said he did not expect the outcome.
“We exceeded our target,” Vitorillo said during NMRAA 2016’s closing ceremonies held at the newly constructed Pedro Romualdo Sports Complex in Mambajao last Friday, December 16.
Rey Maghuyop, Cagayan de Oro division sports coordinator, attributed COAA’s victory to the year-round enhancement training provided to its athletes coupled with support of the City Government under the administration of Mayor Oscar Moreno.
“Even when there are no athletic meets, our athletes are being trained all year round,” he told this reporter over the phone Friday, adding this has contributed to the consistent win of COAA athletes in sports competition.
The incentive, equipment and other support provided by the local government have also helped in boosting the morale and capabilities of the COAA players, he said.
Because of this support, Maghuyop said COAA has been consistent in topping NMRAA events for the last four years.
In a previous interview, Vitorillo said Moreno has allocated P5.5 million for the athletes, included in this budget is their food, uniform and incentives during the NMRAA 2016 meet.
Annika Marian Sell, an elementary-level swimmer who bagged a total of seven medals, three of them gold, in various categories, said she received about P5,000 as allowance from the city government for participating in this year’s regional meet.
Learning experience
Mambajao Mayor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo said the NMRAA 2016 meets is a learning experience for the athletes of Camiguin.
That’s why, Romualdo said, they are planning on putting up a training farm for the province’s athletes next year.
“Our athletes have the potential, they can really excel if given the right training,” he said.
In this year’s regional meet, Camiguin is on the 10th place, out of the 14 NMRAA divisions, with eight gold medals, 11 silver, and 19 bronze.
With the new sports facilities the province has built, he said he is hopeful that Camiguin’s standing in the NMRAA will improve in two to three years’ time.
Romualdo said the NMRAA officials were impressed with Camiguin’s sports facilities and infrastructure that hosting the Palarong Pambansa in 2018 is not a remote possibility.
“We were able to accommodate the NMRAA. I’m sure we can give Palarong Pambansa a try,” he said, adding that the island-province’s geography will prove advantageous to the players due to Camiguin’s small area.
He said the influx of visitors to Camiguin has increased the tourist traffic in the island with the athletes and their families touring the various attractions and spending money on food and souvenir items contributing to the local economy.