Courtesy: Sun Star Cebu


‘Better outlook’

Thursday, November 17, 2016

by Richiel S. Chavez

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has included wushu, futsal, billiard and wrestling as part of the regular events for the 2017 Palarong Pambansa.

Wushu, futsal, billiard and wrestling were played as demo sports in the previous editions of the annual meet participated by all regions in the country.

The DepEd memorandum No.174 dated Oct. 21 announced the inclusion of these sports as regular events, which means the medals won will be counted in the standing of the region.

The boys’ and girls’ billiard, wushu, wrestling and girls’ futsal will be played, however, in the secondary division.

Cebu City sports coordinator Zenaida Gocotano confirmed the inclusion of the former demo sports in the regular events. She said that these events had been getting 90 percent of participation on the past two years, and it’s one of the reasons for its inclusion.

“We are hoping that these four events can make an impact on the Central Visayas team. Wushu is a medal-rich event, and for the past years we have been competitive in this event. Central Visayas also has a strong team in futsal and in the past two years we won silver medal twice,” she said.

Gocotano said that wushu has two disciplines: the forms and combat. She said that for wushu the gold medals at stake are 15. She said that when it was a demo sports, Central Visayas once won 30 medals in wushu.

Gocatono said that in the recently-concluded Cebu City Olympics, there were competitive players as well in billiards and wrestling.
Region 7 finished fourth overall in the 59th Palarong Pambansa held in Legazpi, Albay last summer.

For next year, the 60th Palarong Pambansa will be held either in Antique Province or Dumaguete City—the two remaining bidders for next year’s hosting. The winner will be announced this month.

The other events to be contested in the secondary division are archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics (MAG, WAG and RG), sepak takraw seniors, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.

The events in the elementary division are arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw-junior, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com