THE Davao del Norte Provincial Sports and Youth Development Office continues to innovate in keeping its youth active despite the community quarantine measures being enforced due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Dynamic sports chief Giovanni Gulanes, who himself has shifted to a more active lifestyle before the pandemic, said their weekly virtual chess and sepak takraw ball control tournaments are ongoing.
I'm used to writing stories about different virtual chess tournaments being the first sport that maximized the use of digital technology in the wake of the pandemic.
But holding a virtual sepak takraw event, and on a weekly basis at that, is another thing. It needs consistency and intention to really make things happen. And that's what Davao del Norte is known for.
The province has not only been a gracious host to so many huge sporting events in the past such as the Batang Pinoy National Championships, National Prisaa Games, and Davraa Meets but it will also have the first Regional Sports Academy in Mindanao, which will be located in its sprawling Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex.
The academy, designed for senior high schools pursuing sports, is reportedly having 10 classrooms once it officially opens. It will also have a 200-bed capacity dormitory.
All that, however, has to wait after we all survive this Covid-19 crisis. But it is something exciting we can all look forward to.
Another thing that Davao del Norte youth is excited about is the staging of the 1st Davao del Norte Province-wide Basketball Freestyle Dribbling Competition, which Gulanes expects to draw at least 100 participants.
Deadline for submission of entries is on December 1 at 5 p.m. and the selection of the top 20 is slated for December 4. The final judging is on December 11.
Categories entered are boys 12-under, boys 14-under and boys 16-under.
In the final 20 rounds, the criteria for judging are 25 percent each for variation of techniques, coordination and mastery, projection and difficulty.
Cash prizes await the top 20 with P3,000, P2,500, P2,000, P1,500 and P1,000 for the first five winners. The sixth to 20th placers will each settle for P300. The video with the most likes will also claim a prize of P1,000.
Who knows, these provincial virtual sports competitions may produce our future champions. But today, we can rest assured that at least the kids have something worthwhile to do while at home. Hoping these initiatives can also be replicated in other local government units.