INQUIRER Sports

THE Visayas, fashioning out stunning victories on all fronts, surged past the favored National Capital Region on the final day of competition Sunday to capture the overall crown in the inaugural National Milo Little Olympics in Cebu City.

Trailing the NCR bets for most of the meet, the Visayan contingent racked up 621 points after dominating performances in athletics, swimming, lawn tennis, volleyball, badminton, chess, sepak takraw, sipa, table tennis and gymnastics in the elementary and high school divisions.

NCR settled for runner-up honors with 551 points, followed by Mindanao with 373 and Luzon with 366.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Department of Education consultant Joy Augustus Young, received the perpetual trophy in behalf of Visayas during the colorful awarding ceremony.

The team will keep the trophy until a new champion is crowned. But if a region rules the competition for three straight years, it will receive a replica of the perpetual trophy.

A cheerdance exhibition and a firework display brought the curtains down on the 13-sport competition that gathered 1,200 student athletes nationwide.

“I congratulate all of the participants, especially Team Visayas,” said Osmeña. “I commend Milo for helping budding athletes become the best that they can be.”