By Daisy A. Gumapon
DIPOLOG CITY – Elementary and secondary athletic delegations from Zamboanga City have again emerged as overall champion in the recently concluded 2014 Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA) meet hosted by this city.
For elementary level, Zamboanga City got 240.67 points followed by Zamboanga del Norte with 235.67 points, Dipolog City with 179 points, Zamboanga del Sur with 159.50 points, Zamboanga Sibugay with 157 points, Pagadian City with 145.50 points, Isabela with 83.67 points and Dapitan City with 49 points.
The “Latin City of Asia” also bested other athletic delegations in the secondary level, garnering 333 points. Zamboanga del Sur finished second with 275.50 points, followed by Dipolog City – 252.67 points, Zamboanga del Norte – 198 points, Zamboanga Sibugay – 113.50 points, Pagadian City – 111 points, Isabela City – 64.67 points and Dapitan City – 62.67 points.
Education Supervisor Edwin dela Luna, chief secretariat of the 2014 ZPRAA meet, disclosed that the games/events being played in this year’s ZPRAA meet include arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepa takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.
The winning athletes and players of the recent ZPRAA meet will represent the region in the “Palarong Pambansa” (National Games), which will be held on May 4-10, 2014 at Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Laguna Governor E.R. Ejercito said during the 2014 Palarong Pambansa launch held early this year by the Department of Education (DepEd) at the ULTRA in Pasig City that preparations are now underway for the hosting of the said event, which will be attended by student-athletes from the country’s 17 regions who will compete in various sports.
This year’s “Palaro” is said to feature 17 sports and three demonstration sports from last year.
The Palarong Pambansa, which started in 1948, aims to promote Physical Education (PE) and sports as an integral part of the Basic Education curriculum for holistic development of the youth and to inculcate the spirit of discipline, teamwork, excellence, fair play, solidarity, sportsmanship and other values inherent in sports.
As regards the venue of the next year’s ZPRAA meet, DepEd-9 has yet to receive any proposal from the local government units in the region that will signify interest in hosting the said athletic event. (The writer is a Wushu officiating official of the 2014 ZPRAA meet.)