Palaro under way in 17 sports; GMA graces rites

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Hostilities in almost all sports, including boxing, athletics and swimming, officially start today in various fronts as the Palarong Pambansa makes its return to this Eastern Visayas port city after 26 years.

Boxing, which hopes to produce the first Olympic gold in the 2012 London Games, fires off at 5 p.m. before an expected banner crowd at the RTR Plaza while the centerpiece athletics and medal-rich swimming events unfold at the Leyte Development Center, where the government reportedly spent nearly a hundred million to refurbish.

The annual multi-sports event for elementary and high school athletes seeks to produce another Gerson Nietes, who won the pinweight gold in last year’s edition in Puerto Princesa, Palawan and went on to become the youngest member of the national team.

The 18-year-old Nietes, first cousin of World Boxing Organization minimumweight Donnie Nietes, recently won a bronze medal in the tough Kings Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.

Focus will also be on elementary boxing, which will make its debut in the annual competition.

Action in baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, sepak takraw and football also begins today in different venues within the city and its neighboring towns.

The rest of the events – archery, taekwondo, arnis, badminton, chess, gymnastics, lawn tennis, sepak takraw and table tennis – will be played at the Sacred Heart Seminary Grounds, Eastern Visayas State U fields, Badminton Republic, DPWH building, Leyte Park Gym, Tacloban Tennis Club, DepEd RO 8 Gym and Palo Gymnasium, respectively.

Some 15,000 athletes, coaches, delegation members and sports officials have trooped to this city with a population of over 200,000 and known for its world-class handicrafts and popular tourist destinations.

This includes traditional powerhouse National Capital Region, which is out to defend its overall championships in the high school and elementary levels after dominating last year’s edition in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

This time, however, the Big City bets are expected to encounter strong opposition from Western Visayas and Southern Tagalog.

President Arroyo will declare the weeklong event open in brief opening rites tomorrow at the LSDC, highlighted by the traditional parade of all 17 participating regions.

Also expected to attend the event are top Department of Education officials and regional directors while Metro Manila Development Authority chief Bayani Fernando, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Senators Mar Roxas, Pia Cayetano, Manny Villar and Jinggoy Estrada were invited but have yet to confirm.

Philippine Sports Commissioner chair Harry Angping will attend the closing ceremonies.