Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Allyn Bulanadi of NorthPort Batang Pier
and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann are special guests in the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (Dacs) Sportsfest 2023 slated to open on Saturday, January 20, at the St. Peter College of Toril.
The games will kick off in full gear on January 22 in different venues in the city.
Dacs executive director Jimmie-Loe P. Dela Vega, in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Wednesday afternoon, January 17, said that Bulanadi, a Dacs alumnus, will give an inspirational message, while Bachmann will also deliver his keynote address.
He said, "We have more events this time compared to previous years. Karatedo will be introduced."
The weeklong sportsfest will have 54 events for elementary and high school participants.
The senior high school division, which will feature three team sports, will be held in February while the college division will kick off on March 4, 2024, at the Philippine Women's College (PWC).
Alongside the traditional sports, Dela Vega highlighted the inclusion of a cultural component, featuring dances, songs, and a battle of the bands.
This year's theme, "Encounter and Accompaniment in Sports and Culture," underscores that the sportsfest is not a regular competition.
He said that they want to emphasize that participants are not competitors although they encounter each other in the games. Instead, they accompany each other, "and bring out the best in each other," Dela Vega added.
Over the past decade, Dacs has conducted a mandatory coaches' formation program, which is divided into three batches.
The Dacs official said, "We want Dacs coaches to share the same vision. We are companions, not competitors, making Dacs a different kind of sports program compared to others. It is not purely competitive, but we are creating a community, forming character, and strengthening camaraderie and friendship." MLSA