FORMER pro Eloy Poligrates, newly-adjudged most valuable player (MVP) in the PBA Developmental-League Foundation Cup, will be in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental Friday, October 25, to help promote grassroots sports in the province.
The 31-year-old playmaker, who leads the Marinerong Pilipino this conference with 21 points on 30 percent shooting from threes plus 3.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals as the Skippers advanced to the finals for the first time in franchise history, will visit Tagoloan Community College (TCC) and some public schools in the municipality.
“Someone like Eloy (Poligrates) nga tubong probinsiya is an inspiration to young and aspiring athletes in Tagoloan. Mo-drop by siya sa mga eskwelahan to share some inspiring words to the kids,” said newly-minted Tagoloan sports coordinator Van Halen Parmis.
The youthful Parmis, former basketball head coach of sportsman and now Tagoloan mayor Gomer Sabio, said he was surprised by the potential shown by Tagoloan athletes in various sports disciplines.
After consulting with DepEd sports insiders, Parmis said he found out that school-based homeground talents excel in sports at the rate of 60 percent performance-wise.
“And that’s very encouraging kay kini nga mga bata sa talent pa lang kana nga level, how much more kon mag-provide ta sa ila og systematic nga training program.”
Parmis said Mayor Sabio wants to harness the skills of student-athletes in possibly all fronts of sporting events wherein Tagoloan are traditionally known for to excel such as in chess, basketball, baseball and arnis, among others.
“For a start, we’re planning to provide coaches training-seminar for the sports-loving DepEd people in Tagoloan aron sab ilang makab-ot mapaabot sab sa mga kabatan-onan,” Parmis told SunStar Cagayan de Oro.