By Cyrus M. Garde

The 383-strong Western Visayas delegation of athletes, coaches, officials cultural and academic participants to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) National Games slated February 21-28, 2010 in Metro Manila is leaving tentatively on February 17. The contingent will take the Negros Navigation vessel to ferry them to Manila, three days before the opening of the sports competition.

They will compete in the 16 sports disciplines except for two events the region had no entry for boxing and judo. The region is needing about P4 million for the said national sports competition to defray expenses in transportation, foods, uniforms and equipment, medical communication and cultural expenses, according to Roger A. Banzuela, WVPRISAA Sports Director.

The delegation is also composed of athletes from State College and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) that form one team. The delegation’s billeting quarters have not yet known as of the moment and they are waiting for official communication from the host region which is National Capital Region (NCR) or from the head office of CHED under Chairman Manny Angeles.

WVPRISAA will represent majority of sports events in the coming CHED National games winning them during the dual knockout match against SCUAA in Iloilo City recently.

WVPRISAA will represent the region in athletics in both men and women, badminton, basketball, chess, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball beach volleyball and karatedo.

SCUAA will represent the region in baseball men, sepak takraw and women softball.

WNU, PRISAA’s defending champion lose to Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) but put the game under protest after three players were fielded in who are transferee from other schools and did not meet residency requirement which is two year. WNU is the perennial regional champion and national champions for four years in football but was dislodge by National Capital Region (NCR) in Naga City last year represented by NCAA champion San Beda College.

The holding of this tertiary sports competition for the first time was contained in the Memorandum Order of Commission of Higher Education (CHED) headed by Chairman Manny Angeles.*