UniGames to stay in Bacolod next year

MANILA, Philippines - Inspired by the huge success of this year’s Sandugo-University Games, organizers have decided to hold the annual meet among college student-athletes at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod again next year.

UniGames president Roger Banzuela is actually eyeing Iloilo City as next year’s host but because of the strong reception and successful staging of the 17th edition of the annual meet, organizers have decided to stage it again in Bacolod in 2013.

“Before this event, Iloilo City was supposed to be the next venue of the Sandugo-UniGames,” said Dong Saga, chief marketing man of title sponsor Sandugo.

“But because of the smooth organization and the big crowd in most of the games, especially in basketball and volleyball, the Sandugo-UniGames will return to Bacolod City for at least another year,” he said.

Far Eastern U and St. Benilde topped four events each while De La Salle U-Taft ruled three at the close of the week-long event last Sunday.

FEU dominated track and field, ruling the men’s and women’s divisions for the second straight year while emerging champions in men’s football and women’s basketball.

St. Benilde, meanwhile, lorded it over the field in men’s chess, men’s and women’s taekwondo and women’s volleyball.

La Salle topped women’s volleyball, men’s badminton and women’s tennis.

The host school, USLS, copped the men’s badminton gold while rallying from two sets down against FEU to eke out a classic, come-from-behind five-set victory in men’s volleyball.

Basketball, however, still emerged the most popular sport with packed crowds in almost all the games. This despite the no-show by University of the East in the finals, enabling National U, led by slam-dunking Alfred Aroga of Cameroon and reigning back-to-back UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks Jr. to take the crown the easy way.

Ateneo, which finished second and led by Kiefer Ravena, was the biggest crowd-drawer.