Third EAGA Games unwraps in Puerto Princesa

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — Two Philippine teams get the local challenge rolling today as the third BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games gets off the ground in four venues in this majestic island paradise in Southern Tagalog.

City Mayor Edward Hagedorn and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain will open the Games, held for the first time after a five-year hiatus and with the Philippines entertaining high hopes of dominating the medal tally.

Gold medals in five events — volleyball, football, swimming, athletics and sepak takraw — will be disputed in the three-day event among four nations which was made possible through the efforts of Hagedorn’s office and the PSC.

No less than 400 athletes are taking part in the meet, which the Philippines will host for the second time after Gen San organized the inaugural edition in 1997. The Games were held in Malaysia the following year before it took a five-year leave.

Malaysia, Brunei-Darussalam, Indonesia and the Philippines are the countries taking part in the event. These countries come from the East Asia Growth Area and the Indons are fielding in the biggest number of competitors with 157.

The number of Indonesian competitors have actually been divided into three teams, making them the logical picks as the teams to beat. But the Philippines, represented here by the teams of Mindanao and Puerto Princesa and Palawan, will be coming into this meet armed to the teeth and ready to wage war.

The formal opening of the games will be held at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum, a gem of an architectural work which can seat more than 9,000 comfortably and which Hagedorn personally saw to it would be in its best shape possible.

The amiable city mayor, in fact, had ordered a round-the-clock work on a huge fountain that now fronts the coliseum’s facade, giving the place an elegant look from inside and out and making it as one of the best new landmarks of this bustling city.

"Puerto Princesa is more than delighted to host this event," Hagedorn said after welcoming the last of the foreign athletes and officials that arrived via a connecting flight from Manila yesterday. "This event not only fosters camaraderie among the athletes and officials, it also shows our Asian neighbors of what a beautiful country we have."

"And with this event, Puerto Princesa and Palawan would have done its share in the development of future members of our Philippine team," added Hagedorn.

The parade of athletes is scheduled at 9 a.m. with Jesus Dureza, the Presidential assistant for Mindanao affairs, declaring the games open.

Volleyball will be the first game on tap.