Metro Manila eyes 19th straight Palarong Pambansa overall title

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur — Who else could it be but the fancied bets from the Big City?

National Capital Region (NCR) carries the largest target on its back once more when it troops down South in a bid to net its 19^th straight overall title in the 66^th Palarong Pambansa on Monday at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Gov. D.O Plaza Sports Complex.

Metro Manila last year lorded it over the country’s premier scholastic multi-sport meet in Laoag, Ilocos Sur with a 237-medal harvest, more than doubling the gold medal collection of its closest pursuers from Calabarzon (Region IV-A) and Western Visayas (Region VI).

The Metro Stars hauled 117 gold, 70 silver and 50 bronze medals overall in both secondary and elementary divisions for a runaway victory as Calabarzon (47-68-66) and Western Visayas (44-54-58) completed the podium.

Majority of NCR’s collection came from swimming, led by the Games’ most bemedalled Titus Raphael Sia and Sophia Rose Garra with seven golds apiece, and athletics, where the Games’ coveted first gold medal is at stake for the competition proper of the week-long summer multi-sport meet following the grand opening ceremony on Sunday at the same venue.

Several events are lined-up at sunrise, including the field’s javelin throw and shotput but the first gold winner is projected to be from the track’s 3,000-meter run finals for secondary girls or long jump for both divisions.

More than 1,500 medals, including eight golds in the explosive opening day salvo, are up for grabs across over 30 sports disciplines for both high school and elementary divisions as Agusan del Sur serves as Palaro host for the first time ever.

Among the highly-anticipated events is weightlifting which will debut as regular medal sport from a demo last year, alongside football for secondary girls and futsal for elementary girls.

Karate, kickboxing and soft tennis will also be featured as demo sports while muay thai and other selected Para Games events (sitting volleyball and table tennis) will serve as exhibition events.

In the race are over 10,000 student-athletes — the biggest to date after a 10.47% increase last year, from the archipelago’s 18 regions as well as the National Academy of Sports and Philippine Schools Overseas.

Over 13,000 comprise the entire delegation of “Palaro Tu Agsur” with a theme of “Unlocking the Future Through Sports” under the lead of Department of Education headed by Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission spearheaded by Chairman Patrick C. Gregorio.

They will be granted free transportation around 36 venues in Prosperidad, Bayugan City, Bunawan, Esperanza, Talacogon and San Francisco under the “Libreng Sakay” program via e-buses and tricycles by the provincial government led by Santiago B. Cane, Jr.

In partnership with its neighbor Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur will also give complimentary tours, free of transportation and entrance fee charges, in Tugonan Falls, Bega Falls and Ecotourism Park, Puting Buhangin Cave, the Agusan Provincial Museum, the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary and the Toog Centennial Tree as well as in Surigao’s Bretania Group of Islands and the Enchanted River. — John Bryan Ulanday