LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The clash among municipal and city employees from various Local Government Units (LGUs) in Pangasinan featuring basketball for men and volleyball for women started immediately right after the opening ceremony of the 1st Unity Games for LGUs led by Governor Amado I. Espino, III on March 16.
Governor Espino, who underscored the essence of the sports fest during the kick-off ceremony held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center gym, stressed that aside from being a strategy for physical fitness enhancement, the LGU Unity Games is an avenue to strengthen rapport and camaraderie among LGUs in the province.
Participating LGUs are classified in two divisions with respect to their income categorires: component cities and 1st to 3rd class towns for Division I and 4th to 5th class towns for Division II.
Basketball and volleyball tournaments in Division I is clustered in eastern and western conferences, respectively.
Teams competing in division I western conference for basketball are: Alaminos City, San Carlos City, Sual, Binmaley, Mangatarem, Bugallon, Calasiao and Sta. Barbara while for the eastern conference: Urdaneta City, Bayambang, Malasiqui, Mangaldan, San Fabian, Pozorrubio, San Nicolas and Umingan.
Clashing teams in division I for volleyball tournament are: Alaminos City, Sual, Binmaley, Mangatarem, Calasiao and Sta. Barbara (western conference); Urdaneta City, Bayambang, Malasiqui, Rosales and San Nicolas (eastern conference).
Division II basketball tournament teams are: Aguilar, Urbiztondo, Mapandan, Sison, Basista, Bautista, Laoac, Sta. Maria and Labrador while division II volleyball fest is composed of: Aguilar, Urbiztondo, Sison, Burgos, Bautista and Laoac.
Games results for basketball in day one include: San Carlos City, 96 (winner) vs. Sual, 57; Urdaneta City, 98 (winner) vs. Umingan, 96; Sta. Maria, 72 (winner) vs. Aguilar, 70.
In volleyball games: Sta. Barbara, 75 (winner) vs. Sual, 39; Rosales, 75 (winner) vs. Malasiqui, 31; Urbiztondo, 69 (winner) vs. Bautista, 60.
March 17 playoffs for basketball: San Carlos City, 108 (winner) vs. Binmaley, 77; Bayambang, 85 (winner) vs. San Nicolas, 52; Urbiztondo, 117 (winner) vs. Bautista, 59.
In volleyball games: Sta. Barbara, 75 (winner) vs. Mangatarem, 57; San Nicolas, 73 (winner) vs. Bayambang, 58; Burgos, 75 (winner) vs. Sison, 47.
Present during the opening ceremony of LGU Unity Games were several local chief executives, vice mayors and councilors from various towns and cities in the province.
Below is the team standings after the first and second day of games.
By Dexter A. See