THE agony lingers for team events.
Typhoon Mawar (Betty when it enters the country’s area of responsibility) spoiled the fun for players in team events when the Department of Education – Cordillera on Wednesday canceled the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association meet set for this weekend and moved it to another date.
DepEd – Cordillera Regional Director Estela Carino, through Assistant Regional Director Ronald Castillo in Regional Memorandum 235 – 2023 wrote, “Due to the threat of typhoon Mawar which is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Friday evening and early Saturday morning according to reports from PAG – ASA, the scheduled conduct of Regional Tournament for Team and Racket Event on May 26-28, 2023 hosted by Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Mountain Province, and Tabuk City respectively is hereby rescheduled on June 2-4, 2023.”
The new memorandum further said the arrival of athletes for the meet’s new schedule will be the morning of June 2, while adding that regional memorandum 219-2023, which is the conduct of the meet, shall remain.
While the supposed staging of the events will not affect the result of the meet staged in Baguio earlier this month, basketball and volleyball are two events that are highly anticipated, noted Schools Division Office – Apayao Sports Coordinator, Dr. Marlon Trumpo.
“Those two sports are the most anticipated events in every CARAA meet. This is a good opportunity for the province to attract a huge crowd aside from the official delegation of every SDO,” said Trumpo, referring to the two events.
Trumpo added the events are “expected to draw thousands of athletes, coaches, and spectators to Apayao, providing a significant economic boost to the province.”
Upon hearing that DepEd – Cordillera approved the staging of team and racket events and a call for proposal was made, Trumpo said they immediately bid for the staging of the two events and communicated with the local government of Pudtol to host said events.
The two team events will supposedly run simultaneously with the First Gov. Elias C. Bulut Jr. Cup for Regional Taekwondo Championship.
University of the Cordilleras sports director, Danilo Cong-o, was already on their way to Apayao last Wednesday when they learned of the DepEd memorandum postponing the team and racket events. Instead, the Baguio High School female volleyball squad staged a tune-up with a team in Vigan and proceeded back home.
“We were already home last night,” said Cong-o, one of the more vocal petitioners for the staging of the team events.
