SLOWLY but surely the Cagayan de Oro athletes are becoming confident in the ongoing Northern Mindanao Palarong Pampook at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center here.
Entering Day 3 of action, the homeground bets can at least heave a sigh of relief that they won't be "feeling small" anymore after a decent showing yesterday in both individual and team events.
Leading in an official count of points in swimming, chess, taekwondo and gymnastics, Team CDO is also doing well in some ballgame events that would likely decide the outcome of this week-long meet for student athletes in elementary and secondary levels.
"There are still two more days to go pero mora'g arang-arang atong dagan karon," one team official said, after noticing that CDO's basketball teams (elementary and secondary divisions) are still unbeaten with only few games left in the elimination round.
"Na upset sab nato ang defending champion Iligan in elementary boys volleyball," exclaimed technical official Joseph Maestrado Jr., completely unaware that CDO spikers also racked up three-straight wins in secondary boys level.
Such a welcome development has prompted veteran Palaro official Porferio "Jun" Padinit to entertain the possibility of Team CDO's bright finish in the 2010 NMRAA Meet which only gave the local delegation a couple of runner-up finishes last year in Tangub Palaro.
"Kon ma-sweep nato ang basketball unya modaug ang volleyball tapos maka-away sab `ta in other ballgame competitions, malagmit gyod nga mo-kampeyon kita kay dominant atong performance in the individual events," Padinit surmised.
So overwhelming was the Oro Tankers' conquest in the aqua sport that coach Sukarno Maut was tempted to crack a joke stating "kita ang nightmare sa ila (rival teams) in swimming event kay bug-at kaayo among li-og sa mga medalya nga nadawat."
The other centerpiece event--athletics, however, proved unlucky for the city bets who are eventually left behind either eating the dust or capitulating to their spring-chicken rivals from Tangub, Bukidnon and host Misamis Oriental.