PRISAA National Games goes into high gear

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – The 2011 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games kicked off yesterday with all 18 sports kicking off at the Joaquin Enriquez Jr. Memorial Sports Complex and other venues in this picturesque seaport city.

Fourteen gold medals – 12 individual and two relays – were up for grabs in the swimming competitions while track field opened with heats in majority of the events scheduled in the sportsfest that drew over 3,000 athletes and officials from the country’s 16 regions.

Zamboanga previously played host to the Olympic-style collegiate sports showcase in 1993, 2005 and 2008, and project director Elbert Atilano Sr. said that he expected the meet to go on smoothly despite barely being given three months to prepare for the Games.

“We have staged this sportsfest thrice before so we are aware of the requirements in hosting an event of this magnitude,” Atilano said. “On behalf of Zamboanga City Mayor Lobregat, we thank Dr. Angeles in entrusting us with the opportunity to hold the Games here again.”

Only the National Capital Region (NCR) is not represented in the meet, which was shelved last year to give way to the CHED National Games, when the death of UE sports director and NCR PRISAA president Bren Perez, in 2010 left the region with a leadership vacuum.

“It was not because NCR was indifferent to the Games,” Angeles said. “In fact, there were several Metro Manila schools that were very interested to join us here, but they were not organized.”

“Hopefully NCR will return in next year’s edition of the PRISAA Games once they have reorganized.”

The absence of the Big City bets has left the other powerhouse contingents like Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Southern Tagalog keen on contesting major honors.

Among the highlights of yesterday’s opening Games, whose theme is “Sports for Sustainable Peace, Unity and Healthier Filipinos,” was the lighting of the urn of “Peace, Unity and Friendship” by the national weightlifting team led by 2008 Beijing Olympics veteran Hidilyn Diaz.

Also present during the inaugural rites were Reps. Maria Climaco and Erico Fabian and Vice Mayor Cesar Itularde.