Maasin-Cebu dogfight gets going

MAASIN CITY, Leyte—The host city gears up for a showdown with traditional powerhouse Cebu City as the Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine Olympic Committee Batang Pinoy Visayas qualifying leg gets under way here today.

Forty-one local government units are fielding athletes in the competition for athletes 15 years old and younger but Maasin City, with 213 athletes, and Cebu City (168) are expected to figure in a close fight for the overall crown with Southern Leyte (107) looming as the games’ dark horse.

Gold medals are up for grabs today, including 18 in athletics at Southern Leyte Sports Complex on the campus of Tomas Oppus Pilot School, and nine in swimming at Leyte Sports Academy pool in Tacloban City.

Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco, PSC commissioner Jolly Gomez, Romy Magat of the POC, and PSC project director Jay Alano headed the guest list in yesterday’s opening rites.

About 3,000 athletes and officials marched from the main plaza to city hall to the beat of a drum and lyre band.

Samaco welcomed the athletes and vowed to stage more sporting events in this bustling seaside city that has somehow kept its small-town charm.

He declared classes suspended for the duration of the games so that the city can focus on its hosting chores.

Action also unfolds in arnis, boxing, badminton, weightlifting, chess, futsal, pencak silat, sepak takraw, soft tennis, softball, table tennis and volleyball.

Maasin City is putting emphasis on medal-rich athletics where it is fielding 27 athletes, swimming (14), gymnastics (14) and dancesports (20). Cebu City has 27 athletes in karatedo, 12 in boxing and 18 in taekwondo.