By Cyrus M. Garde

Fifty one colleges and universities have already confirmed their participation in this year’s University Games (UniGames) to be hosted by Central Philippine University (CPU) in Iloilo City on October 24-30, 2009.

Roger A. Banzuela, Uni Games president said that these schools come from different places in the country to compete in at least eleven sports disciplines.

He said preparation is now underway for the venues and billeting centers for all participating schools.

Volleyball has the most number of participating schools with a total of 43 as of October 7, with 21 joining the men’s division and 22 for women.

Taekwondo followed the sports event with the number of participating schools; 14 for men and 16 for women.
Basketball has the final list of participating schools with 24 for men and 9 for women.

Other sports disciplines with the number of participating schools are; athletics, 15 for men and 12 for women; badminton, 11 for men and 9 for women; chess, 15 for men and 16 for women; football, 12 for men and 8 for women; lawn tennis, 9 for men and 5 for women; sepak takraw, 9; swimming, 8 for men and 5 for women; table tennis, 10 for men and 8 for women; and beach volleyball, 11 for men and 12 for women.

This year, softball event will be included in the contested sports competition after it was agreed by majority of theparticipating schools last year when Foundation University in Dumaguete City, Neg-ros Oriental hosted the tournament. But Banzuela has not yet disclosed the participating schools, although the host CPU is expected to field a team against the best from National Capital Region whose players also came from Western Visayas or from the core of Domingo Lacson National High School that won for them the 15th Palarong Pambansa title in Tacloban City.
Softball is one of the sports dominated by CPU in Western Visayas and has fared well during the national Private Schools Sports Athletic Association (PRISAA) meet held in Naga City last April. Banzuela said, football is likely to be held in Sta. Barbara, while basketball in Passi City and other venues in Iloilo City.

Banzuela added that this year, UniGames have problem in its finances that needs about a million pesos in running the tournament. But there are pledges from Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Hi-Smart Multivitamins, and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Meanwhile, Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City also bid to host UniGames in 2010, while St. Louis University in Baguio City will host it in 2011.

UniGames was the brainchild of Bro. Rolando Dizon, FSC, and then president of University of St. La Salle in Negros Occidental in 1996. It started with 17 schools participating until it doubled many times that rose to more than 50 colleges and universities in the country.

Supported by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), it served as the playground of regional athletic, whose exposure to bigger games has been limited due to the freeze or irregularity in the staging of national tertiary games and the absence of high level tournament in their respective area.

University of St. La Salle was considered the home of UniGames which hosted the games nine times. Foundation University hosted it three times in 2000, 2002 and 2008, while De La Salle University-Dasmariñas had it once in 2003.

CHED and PSC have sanctioned UniGames as one of the breeding grounds of future Philippine athletes to represent the country in international sports competitions.*