Uaap stars arrive for 'Araw' athletics

TEAM Mercuries, a powerhouse squad of top University Athletic Association of the Philippines (Uaap) varsity track stars, arrived in Davao City on Thursday evening ahead of the 88th Araw ng Davao Athletics Festival Season 3, set to kick off on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at the University of Mindanao (UM) track oval in Maa.

Uaap multiple gold medalist John Lloyd Hechanova Cabalo, a returning competitor, expressed excitement about racing against Mindanao’s top athletes. Cabalo will compete in the men’s 400-meter run, 4x400m relay, and 4x100m relay.

Davao City Track and Field Association (DCTFA) president Kenneth Sai announced that 750 athletes are registered for the two-day event, featuring sprint, middle-distance, long-distance, jumping, and throwing events.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) team, a regular contender in Davao athletics, will not join this year’s meet but has confirmed participation in the upcoming Kadayawan sa Davao sports festival.

Other participating teams include host UM, Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC), the Philippine Navy athletics team, Digos City, General Santos City, Davao del Norte, and Tacurong City Athletics.

The event is part of Davao City’s month-long sports festival celebrating its 88th founding anniversary. MLSA