Track, gymnastics kick off ’05 Palaro

ILOILO CITY – The country’s future stars, the best and finest from 13 regions, begin their quest for glory in this coastal city as the 2005 Palarong Pambansa formally opens today with six gold medals in medal-rich athletics and three more in gymnastics at the Iloilo Sports Complex here.

Action starts at the break of dawn as athletes fight it out for two gold medals in the secondary boys’ javelin throw and girls’ discus throw and two more in the secondary girls’ high jump and elementary girls’ shot put.

After a brief afternoon break, hostilities resume on the tracks with gold medals to be contested in the elementary and high school boys’ triple jump in the event expected to draw superb performances from perennial contenders National Capital Region and host Western Visayas.

The Big City bets didn’t participate in the last edition of the Games held in Tubod, Lanao del Norte two years ago, enabling Southern Mindanao to win the overall title behind a strong showing in swimming.

Over at the De Paul College Gym, the rope, hoop and ball events of rhythmic gymnastics also start today with three gold medals to be given away late in the afternoon.

In other fronts, action in badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, football, sepak takraw, softball, table tennis, volleyball and lawn tennis also unfolds in Day 1 with chess, taekwondo and another medal-rich sport swimming coming off the wraps tomorrow.

Events are spread city-wide and nearby towns like the Sta. Barbara National High School in Oton, and Pavia, which host archery and baseball, respectively.

Other venues are the University of San Agustin ground (elementary baseball), Jaro Plaza Gym (boxing), SM City (chess), La Paz Plaza (elementary football), Central Philippines University Gym (lawn tennis), Molo’s North Fundidor Gym (sepak takraw), West Visayas State U (softball), SM food court (table tennis) and the WIT New Site (throwing events).

The event marks the first time that Iloilo, also known as the country’s "Festival City" is hosting the Palaro since 1991 or 14 years since the province staged one of the best editions of this annual multi-sports meet for elementary and high school student athletes.

Iloilo native Sen. Franklin Drilon formally ushered in the week-long event in elaborate rites yesterday before some 8,000 athletes and officials and thousands of local fans who packed the venue built in 1991 at a whopping cost of P100 million in a gesture of support

Drilon, who allotted a chunk of his social budget to the Palaro, spoke in behalf of President Arroyo, who begged off in the last minute due to a more pressing concern.

Host Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and Mayor Jerry Trenas were also present along with Education Secretary Florencio Abad, Philippine Sports Commission officer-in-charge William "Butch" Ramirez and PSC commissioners Leon Montemayor, Ambrocio de Luna and Jose Mundo.

Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee vice chairman and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco was invited but also begged off.

Abad himself declared the event, postponed last year due to budgetary constraints, open while Southeast Asian Games gold medalist John Lozada, an Iloilo native and a former Palaro star, spearheaded the traditional lighting of the urn before delegations from 17 participating regions.

The Palaro opened in blaze of colors and thousands of spectators were treated to awesome performances by a gala of festival ethnic dancers "Pintados de Pasi," Sta. Barabara’s "Kahilyawan," and "Tribu Silak" of the Iloilo National High School — the top three winners of this year’s Aliwan Festival in Manila — and a spectacular fireworks display.

The DepEd, now the chief organizer of the Games, will implement a new system in determining the overall champion.

Unlike in previous editions where the general championship is won by the delegation with the most number of gold medals, this year’s winner will be determined using the point system — seven points for the individual gold medal winners and 15 for team champions.

Individual silver and bronze medals are equivalent to five and four points, respectively, while team silver and bronze medals are worth 15 and 10 points, respectively.