BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will send a 744-member contingent to the prestigious Palarong Pambansa hosted by Davao city on April 27 up to the first week of May this year.
Agustin Gumuwang, chief of the Education Support Services of the Cordillera office of the Department of Education, said bulk of the athletes and coaches comprising the region’s contingent to the annual national sports competition comes from Baguio city which won the overall championship in the recently concluded Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) held in Apayao last February 27 to March 3, 2019.
He said the region’s contingent is aiming to improve their 25-22-23 gold-silver-bronze medal haul last year that allowed them to land in fifth place in the 17-region sports competition and further improve the region’s ranking considering the dominance of Cordillera athletes in combative sports.
However, Gumuwang admitted other regions are also improving on their performances in combative sports thus the region’s athletes are trying to improve their performance in the upcoming sports competitions to increase the projected medal haul from various sports disciplines.
“Our combative athletes are the fear of other regions that is why they are recommending the scrapping of the combative sports in the Palarong Pambansa because contract sports is not good to the young children but higher authorities maintained their position to retain the presence of combative sports in the upcoming sports competitions,” Gumuwang stressed.
The Cordillera delegation will leave for Davao City on April 23, 2019 to maximize their high altitude training in Baguio city and ensure their fitness for the said competition though the members of the advance party will leave the region earlier to ensure that the billeting schools of the athletes, coaches and chaperons are ready by the time they will arrive in Davao City.
The Cordillera had its best finish in the Palarong Pambansa in 2015 when it landed fourth place after the week-long sports competition held in Tagum city, Davao del Norte.
Gumuwang claimed the Cordillera delegation will continue to rely on combative sports as one of the major sources of medals but it will also set its sights on other sports disciplines, including team sports, as possible medal producers for the region to improve its medal haul and standing in the annual national sports competition.
According to him, the region’s athletes are now in the height of their preparations for the Palarong Pambansa to ensure their readiness for the expected stiff competition from their competitors from other regions because of the continuous improvement of the trainings of athletes with the acquisition of new coaches and young and talented athletes from the grassroots level.
Gumuwang appealed to individuals and groups interested to extend whatever assistance to the members of the Cordillera delegation to get in touch with the coaches of the different sports disciplines or regional and division officials of the education department to ensure their support will be properly acknowledged and given due credit by the responsible officials assigned for the said purpose. By Dexter A. See
