CEBU, Philippines — The stage is set for the Jesuit Athletic Meet 2018 to be held October 25-30 in the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu campus in Canduman, Mandaue City.
Also called the JAM, the event brings together over a thousand student-athletes and officials from ten Jesuit-run high schools from all over the country. The main goal of the event is to foster fellowship and unity among the schools in the field of sports.
Participating in the JAM are Ateneo de Manila University, Xavier School San Juan, Xavier School Nuvali, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Iloilo, Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo de Zamboanga, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Loyola College of Culion and SHS-Ateneo de Cebu.
Events on tap are basketball, volleyball (boys and girls), football, futsal (girls), athletics (boys and girls), table tennis (boys and girls), chess (boys and girls), lawn tennis (boys and girls), swimming (boys and girls) and badminton (boys and girls).
All events will be held at the sprawling campus of SHS-Ateneo in Canduman, except for badminton and lawn tennis. Batang Gilas mainstay Kai Sotto makes his second visit to Cebu as he leads the campaign of Ateneo de Manila along with the Blue Eaglets in basketball. They will face a stiff challenge from Xavier School and the host Magis Eagles. SHS-Ateneo had won the team championships at JAM Davao 2016, taking the gold in basketball, girls volleyball, girls futsal, athletics and swimming.
On top of sports, the JAM will also be a showcase for culture and the arts. A highlight of the opening ceremony will be performances from Gonzaga College of Indonesia (also a Jesuit school), the famed MASKARA dance troupe of Ateneo de Davao, the host school’s Agila and Ateneo Blue Dance Troupe, with the special participation of the University of Cebu Dance Troupe.
JAM Event Manager Vinnie Tan said that the school is ready to welcome all its guests with open arms.
“We are excited and raring to host the JAM 2018 with our Ateneo Hearter hospitality. The JAM will be more than just sports. It will be a memorable experience for all,” Tan declared.
The opening ceremony will be held on October 25, while games will run from October 26 to 30. All delegations will arrive also on the 25th and depart for their homes on October 31.