THE Davao City Mayor's Office (CMO) feted some 250 medalists and coaches of top performing athletes in Batang Pinoy 2016 National Championships and 9th Bimp-Eaga Friendship Games during the Athletes and Coaches Recognition Night 2017 at the Grand Men Seng Hotel Friday evening, March 17.
Gold medalists received cash incentives of P3,000 each while silver and bronze winners claimed P2,000 and P1,000, respectively. They were also awarded with personalized medals.
Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office (SDD-CMO) office-in-charge Mikey Aportadera, in his welcome message, lauded the hard work and efforts of the athletes and coaches as well as the support of their parents.
Aportadera also quoted coach Vince Lombardi, saying: "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."
CMO chief-of-staff lawyer Raul Nadela and second district councilor and committee of youth and sports chairperson April Marie Dayap were also guests.
Nadela also thanked the athletes, "The most important resource of a city is the people. You as a people gave another reason for the city to be proud of," he said.
Athletes and coaches of archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, dancesport, judo, wrestling, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, rugby football, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball and wushu each had a share of the spotlight upon receiving the incentives and medals.
Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) team captain Joshua Dave Aguillon, who steered the city's golden finish in the 9th Bimp-Eaga Friendship Games men's basketball event in Samarinda, East Kalimantan in Indonesia, said it was indeed a fun and memorable experience for him and the rest of the city delegates.
"The memories were priceless because it all came from our hard work," he said.
Dayap then closed the program with a message of gratitude, saying: "Thank you (athletes and coaches) for bringing Davao again in the map of the Philippines."