National athletes ready for Summer Universiade

MANILA, Philippines - It’s all systems go for the Philippine delegation to the 26th Summer Universiade to be held in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China Aug. 12-23.

The Philippine team, composed of the finest university athletes around the country, will participate in nine events – archery, athletics, badminton, men’s basketball, beach volleyball, chess, swimming, taekwondo and table tennis.

The trip of the Filipino student athletes is sanctioned by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP), the sole local university sports association recognized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

The FISU is the organizer of the Summer Universiade and the World University Games.

According to David Ong, FESSAP president, Alvin Tai Lian, chef de mission of the Philippine delegation to the Shenzhen Universiade, and Prof. Robert Milton Calo, chairman of the FESSAP monitoring committee, this year’s games will be the biggest ever as more than 13,000 athletes and officials from a record 188 countries are taking part.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) president, will be attending the Shenzhen Universiade to support the University of Cebu squad that is representing the Philippines in the 24-nation men’s basketball competitions supported by its local business partnership with Agri Nurture Inc (ANI), led by Antonio Tiu and Dennis Sia, and China’s Beidahuang Group of Companies.

The 361 Degree sportswear is the official outfitter for the Philippine delegation’s parade uniforms including the closing ceremony.

Former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, the chair of the Philippine Swimming League, and former national team swimmer Susan Papa will head the 16-member swimming delegation.

Meanwhile, current UAAP stars from the University of Santo Tomas will spearhead the campaign of the 15-member taekwondo (Kyorugi and Poomsae) contingent.

A send-off party is scheduled tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the National Press Club in Intramuros. Ong is hosting the send-off party which will gather for the first time all the athletes and officials before their departure for China on Aug. 11.

 Invited guests are from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) from the Office of Consular Affairs, Chinese Embassy through its consul-general Shen Zicheng and associates, including other government dignitaries and businessmen-sportsmen.

Also, National Press Club (NPC) president Jerry Yap, NPC secretary Louie Logarte and former NPC president Benny Antiporda are expected to grace the send-off rites.

 The host city has constructed 41 new sporting venues for the Games in cooperation with the Central Government, from the city mayor and provincial governor of Guangzhou.