Regional Collegiate Games: Cebu PRISAA guns for title

CEBU, Philippines – Perennial champion Team Cebu City will try to regain its supremacy with a home court advantage as the Regional Collegiate Games (RCG) fires off today in various venues here in the Queen City of the South.

Cebu PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) will be clashing against the best squads from Bohol and Negros Oriental to be the rightful owners of the championship titles in the different sporting competitions featured in the two-day multi-sporting event.

TCC eyes a golden finish in the ball games with the University of San Carlos in basketball men and women's. A tougher line-up will be seen as the squad will be reinforced by Junemar Fajardo of UC, Kurt Amores of USJ-R and Rene Pacquiao of SWU.

Last year's men's national volleyball champion, University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars will try to secure a national ticket but has to face tough opposition against the equally-tough Foundation University of Dumaguete City.

To recall, during the recently concluded University Games, FU trounced USJ-R during their cross-over semifinal match due to the poor set plays, reason why USJ-R brought in reinforcement Dennis Sepulveda of USC to be their setter.

In the distaff side, the Southwestern University Lady Cobras aim to dominate the women's bracket to improve its silver finish in last year's nationals.

In athletics, powerhouse team University of Cebu (UC), will rely on multi-decorated Lindley Navaja in the sprint events and the relays. UC also has some more gold medals to look forward to in the men and women's table tennis events.

Former Nestea beach volleyball champions, Erika Camille Verano and Apple Eve Saraum of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) will try to seek the women's tiara today at the Whitesands in Maribago, Mactan Island.

Jade Becaldo of the University of the Visayas (UV) and Edward Ybañez of USPF will try to earn a chance to defend their national championship title in the men's bracket

With the new development of hanging the Regional PRISAA to RCG, Cebu Normal University (CNU) joined the roster of competitors being the sole State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA)-member school.

It has entries in the women's basketball, chess, swimming and dancesports.

Former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) executive director and commissioner and now the PRISAA regional president, Fr. Vicente L. Uy, SVD, was the officiating priest in the holy mass during yesterday's opening salvo at the Aznar Coliseum.

"We hope to come up with a strong team from the Central Visayas after the competition so that we will have greater and brighter chances in improving our last year's standing in the national finals," said Uy.

To recall, last year's action saw Central Visayas bag the overall third place standing with 33 golds, 42 silvers and 34 bronzes. National Capital Region ruled the medal standings with 173 golds, 42 silvers and 40 bronzes with Region VI (Western Visayas) a distant second (40-75-54) and Region IV-A (Calabarzon) in the fourth spot (25-37-46).

PRISAA Cebu coordinator Ryan Aznar said that with the second-time of hosting the regionals here in Cebu, this year has a lot more pressure.

"We're pressured but we are still hoping that we could actually get the best athletes in the region so that we could compete with the best athletes from the other regions of the country," he said.

The winners will automatically get tickets to represent Central Visayas for the National Collegiate Games (NCG) on February 20-26 in Metro Manila. (FREEMAN)