LUNA, Apayao – The Cordillera Administrative Region Association of State Universities and Colleges (CARASUC) will be sending a 330-man contingent to the upcoming 2015 State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) National Olympics which will be hosted by the Cagayan State University (CSU) in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on February 7-14.
The contingent will be led by CARASUC president and Ifugao State University (IFSU) president Sarafin Ngohayon and other SUC presidents from the different State-run higher education institutions in the region.
The CARASUC delegation will be composed of 245 competing athletes, 35 officials, 43 coaches and 7 officiating officials.
Of the 245 competing athletes, 90 will come from overall champion Benguet State University (BSU), 62 will come from surprise second placer Apayao State College (ASC), 30 will come from the Abra State Institute of Science and Technology (ASIST), 26 from the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC), 22 from IFSU and 15 from the Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC).
The competing athletes will be fielded by CARASUC in arnis men and women, badminton men, basketball men and women, chess men, lawn tennis men and women, sepak takraw, softball women, swimming men and women, table tennis men and women, taekwondo men and women, volleyball men and women, dance sport Latin, dance sport Standard while contestants will also be joining the Search for Mr. and Ms. SCUAA.
During the CARASUC sports meet last December held here, former seventh placer ASC pulled out a surprise by besting the other SUCs and placed a close second to overall champion BSU.
The athletes are now on their final stages of training in the different SUCs in the region in preparation for the expected stiff competition from the athletes coming from the 112 SUCs coming from the different parts of the country.
CARASUC officials are confident that with the support extended by SUC officials and local officials from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, they will be able to bring home substantial medals in order to give honor and pride to the shools where they come from and the region as a whole and send the message that Cordillera athlests have a place in the varius local, regional, national and international sports competitions.
