Team Cebu City starts bid for overall supremacy

CEBU, Philippines – Aside from carrying out a successful hosting of the event, Team Cebu City also aims for the overall champion as games of the Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy National Championships go full blast today mainly at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Capitalizing on its homecourt advantage, TCC fields in over 500 athletes, by far the the biggest number of delegation it sends in a multi-event gathering.

More than the huge number of competitors though that is one advantage of being the host, Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Edward Hayco believes that TCC has something that will push its athletes to play their best - 'heart for sports'.

"The athletes are highly motivated. As volunteer-teachers, the way they look at games are now different, they now have the heart for sports," said Hayco.

Most of the TCC bets are volunteer-teachers under CCSC's grassroots program, a free sports training program for the youth. By volunteering, athletes in return get to represent Cebu City and enjoy free travel and get allowances in every competition they are joining in.

"For those who volunteered, the allowance that we give and the travel expenses that we are shouldering serve as their reward," said Hayco.

Aside from their volunteer-teacher athletes, TCC will also parade the best of their grassroots products including the kids from Guba, one of Cebu City's mountain barangays. These kids are inspired to be in their best as they hope to become next national champion in long distance run like their mentor, Mary Joy Tabal.

Meanwhile, the sporting disciplines that will take place today at the CCSC are the medal-rich swimming and athletics, rugby football, and sepak takraw.

The other venues include MetroSports (badminton), Fort San Pedro's sand court (beach volleyball), Cebu Coliseum (boxing), Don Bosco Technology Center (futsal), Cebu Sports Institute (hand ball and cheerleading), DepEd-Cebu City Division office (chess), Gaisano Capital South (karatedo), CitiGreen Tennis Resort and Alta Vista Golf and Country Club (tennis and soft tennis), SM City-Cebu (taekwondo), Sacred Heart School's old campus (volleyball), and Cebu Provincial Capitol (table tennis and dancesport).

Mandaue, on the other hand, plays host to arnis and weightlifting at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex and wrestling and pencak silat at the Barangay Ibabao gym, while Danao City will take charge of duathlon, triathlon, basketball, cycling, and softball. — Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (FREEMAN)