THE resumption of all city-funded and city-initiated sports events and programs in Davao City will be in 2021.
Davao City Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge Michael Denton “Mikey” Aportadera bared this in a Messenger chat interview on Thursday, June 11, 2020.
He said, “Next year na ang proposed resumption of all sports events.”
Aportadera, however, said: “We advise all athletes to stay safe during this pandemic. We encourage the athletes to stay healthy and engage in the allowed mode of exercise. Safety is our utmost priority at this time.”
It can be recalled that since all major sports events such as the Palarong Pambansa, Batang Pinoy National Championships, Philippine National Games and National Prisaa Games were canceled last summer due to the coronavirus threat, city and regional meets were also shelved. Preparations and training of athletes were halted.
The annual Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival, which usually features over 20 sports, also did not materialize. The yearly Kadawayan Sports Festival in August will also not push through.
The city’s hosting of the third Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao was at last rescheduled next year after few postponements this year.
Meanwhile, the national sports agency, Philippine Sports Commission, earlier announced that all sports events are canceled until December.
However, some sports facilities have reopened in Davao City and some non-contact sports have been allowed by the national government through the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases.