WVRAA gears up for Palaro 2019 in Davao City

THE Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Blue Barons is aiming for another strong campaign in the 62nd Palarong Pambansa, which will open today at the University of the Philippines Mindanao Sports Complex in Davao City.

The Blue Barons will once again have a solid delegation from elementary and secodary student-athletes from Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Negros Occidental, which returned to the WVRAA last year.

In the 2018 edition at Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Blue Barons placed third overall in regular games with 46 golds, 45 silver and 44 bronze medals and has topped the demonstration sports (8-11-5) and para games (16-18-16).

“(WVRAA) gave their best last year in Vigan. I believe they have more arsenals to unleash, has more power to shine and conquer the 2019 Palarong Pambansa,” said Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Revsee Acuña Escobedo.

He added: “WVRAA for several times has been a perennial challenger/contender of the NCR in the coveted championship crown. Western Visayas has been and always been a source of raw talents to represent the Philippines in the international sporting arena.”

Among the sports to be played this year are track and field, swimming, archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiards, boxing, chess, football, futsal, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, and wushu.

Demonstration events are aero gymnastics, dance sports and pencak silat, while indigenous sports are also to be reintroduced as DepEd intends to restore and revive “Laro ng Lahi” sports.

For the third straight year, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to grace the opening ceremony with presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also expected to be present.

“The city is more than thrilled to welcome more than 18,000 delegates of the Palarong Pambansa, as it promotes physical education among young Filipinos and inculcates in them the values of excellence, discipline, teamwork, fair play, and integrity,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Our passion for sports has inspired us to run the extra mile in preparations to give all of you an indelible, incredible experience in this annual multi-sport event,” she added.

The annual Palarong Pambansa aims to promote physical education and sports as integral parts of basic education for the youth to become responsible and globally competitive citizens of the country.

It also aims to inculcate in their minds the spirit of discipline, teamwork, excellence, fair play, solidarity, sportsmanship, and other inherent values, and promote and achieve peace through sports.

In addition, it targets to widen the bases for talent identification, selection, recruitment, training and exposure for elementary and secondary students to serve as athletes’ roster of the National Sports Associations for international competitions./PN