17-time champ UC returns to Milo

Powerhouse University of Cebu (UC) will make its return in the 22nd Milo Little Olympics Visayas Finals after skipping last year’s edition due to financial constraints.

The 17-time champion UC is hoping to make an impact again in the school-based elementary and secondary sporting meet on Aug. 24 to 27.

“Yes, we’re going to compete this year. What we’re waiting for now are the athletes’ listings from the different coaches so we can finalize the number of participants,” said UC’s newly-appointed overall sports coordinator Jessica Honoridez.

Honoridez said she’s confident their athletes can deliver even if they skipped last year’s edition.

“The athletes have a wholeyear program in training and it continues since we also join different events. They’re ready to compete anytime. Hopefully we can go back at the top again,” she said.

Organizer Ricky Ballesteros thinks the return of UC would make the competition more interesting.

The University of San Carlos-Basic Education (USC-Bed) is the reigning overall champion after topping the secondary division with 170.75 points and the elementary division with 111.6 points last year.

“That would be exciting. It’s between the powerhouses USCBed, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), Abellana National School, UC and Tay Tung High School of Bacolod,” Ballesteros said.

Meanwhile, the venues of the event are now set. SM Seaside Cebu will host gymnastics, chess, scrabble, table tennis, karatedo, arnis, taekwondo and table tennis; the Cebu City Sports Center will host swimming, track and field, football and sepak takraw; SHS-AdC will host the secondary boys’ and girls’ volleyball, elementary and secondary basketball; CitiGreen and Alta Vista will host tennis and Metrosports will host badminton.

It’s still early days, more than 50 percent to go, a massive amount of points to get. I’m getting better all the time. It’s a long year ahead but I’m in the championship fight. VALTTERI BOTTAS, winner of Austrian GP