43 schools compete as Unigames gets underway

The much-awaited University Games (UNIGAMES), the country’s biggest annual sportsfest for tertiary schools, unwraps today at the De La Salle University campus in Dasmariñas, Cavite with Gov. Ireneo Maliksi, PSC chairman Eric Buhain, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Bro. Rolando Dizon and Dasmariñas Mayor Elpidio Barzaga as guests of honor.

A special parade involving all the participating schools and athletes will start at 7:30 a.m. from the Dasmariñas Municipal Hall all the way to the DLSU-Dasmariñas Grandstand. The meet is set up to Oct. 29.

More than 2,300 athletes from 43 colleges and universities are participating in the eight-day sporting competition in 10 sports disciplines.

The events on tap are basketball, volleyball, table tennis, lawn tennis, football, badminton, swimming, chess, taekwondo and track and field. Schools are allowed to choose specific events they will compete in. The general rule is for a school to enter in the sporting events where their athletes can excel or are competitive.

As expected, the majority of the country’s top collegiate athletes in individual and team competitions will be participating in the Unigames. Basketball, which is the centerpiece event of the Unigames will have newly crowned UAAP champion and last year’s Unigames runner-up, FEU Tamaraws, all pumped up and ready on annexing this year’s championship against last year’s tormentor, St. Francis of Assisi. Other schools that are expected to figure well

are DLSU-Manila, DLSU-College of St. Benilde, University of Mindanao, University of the East, Angeles University Foundation and University of the Philippines.