Lapu-Lapu sends leaner PNG team

CEBU, Philippines – Some 47 Lapu-Lapu City athletes and their respective coaches are set to leave today to compete for the weeklong Visayas leg of the Philippine National Games (PNG) in Antique province.

It will be a much leaner delegation for Lapu-Lapu City this year after local sports officials decided to drop participation to events where they said they don't have realistic chances of winning.

During the send-off press conference at Hoopsdome yesterday, Engineer Norvin Imbong, head of the City's Sports Commission, said the tournament is a way of testing the city's sports program.

This after Hoopsdome was declared by Mayor Paz Radaza as a sports center last year, paving the way for the creation of nine indoor sports training rooms.

The training center at Hoopsdome caters to boxing, karatedo, taekwondo, chess, muay thai, table tennis, gymnastics, arnis and athletics.

"We've trained for a year, starting when the city set up our training facilities here for our athletes," Imbong said.

Last year, 63 athletes from the city were sent to Manila for the national leg of PNG.

Arnis player Jonel Pepito, who won a gold medal in last year's PNG event in Manila, thanked the city government and the Department of Education for their support.

He said the support they are getting helps in adding more confidence on their part.

"We are provided with very nice facilities and there's no reason for us not to compete well in PNG," he said.

Yukka Kusanagi, 16, one of the taekwondo players who had joined at least 10 previous competitions, said she also trained hard for the upcoming sports conclave.

"It's going to be a difficult competition because you don't know your opponent," said Kusanagi, a fourth year high school student of Indiana Aerospace University.

Kusanagi won a silver medal during the recent Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association meet in Balamban town, Cebu.

According to Imbong, the city allotted P509,000 for the fare, allowances and other needed expenses of the athletes.

The delegation consists of 11 taekwondo players, another 10 for arnis, 10 each for gymnastics and athletics, and six for chess.

Except for gymnastics events which will be held on November 27, all other event will be staged from November 9 to 14 in Antique.

"The qualifying tournament (in Antique) is held in preparation for the PNG national tournament. We are hoping many athletes in our team will qualify for the national tournament," Imbong said.  (FREEMAN)