GAME FACES ON AS PALARO SQUAD PREPS
Cviraa squad shows it is serious about improving the overall ranking as athletes are deep into training for the Palarong Pambansa set next month in Vigan
The athletes of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa) are dead serious in their goal to improve its ranking in the 61st Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur on April 15 to 21.
To realize the goal, the athletes were invited to take part in the unified training program in Cebu City with Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) as the main venue.
SunStar Cebu had the chance to interview some of the players and coaches amidst their training routine yesterday.
“So far there’s no problem on our stay here. We are at the dormitory, and they’re providing free food to us,” said sepak takraw secondary coach Luciano Bargaso from Bohol.
Bargaso said that they’re playing against older players. who are preparing for the Philippine National Games (PNG).
“We have a lot of tune up play said
ers here, we can choose who we play. So far I have seen improvements on my players since we arrived last March 20,” said Bargaso.
The 2017 Palarong Pambansa track and field gold medalist Riza Jane Vallente said that hopefully there will be less people when they train so they can focus on their training.
“Medyo maglisod mi kay usahay daghan tao ang oval kung mag sprinting mi. Amo first train ing is 5 a.m. then at 3 p.m. and maabtan
man mig daghan tao,” she said. Valiente, 17, is carrying a huge load on her shoulders as she is expected to perform being the winner of Region 7’s one of only two gold medals in athletics last year. The student from La Union National High School of Candijay, Bohol won the 400-meter hurdles in the Palarong Pambansa last year in Antique.
“I hope I can repeat this year,” Vallente, who won five gold medals in the recently concluded Cviraa meet in Bohol.
Mario Lourdes Rondero of Oslob, Cebu and Jamaica Nina Punay of Daan Bantayan, Cebu who are heading to their first Palarong Pambansa are also training at CCSC.
“So far, our practices are going well. We hope to improve in the following days,” said Punay, who won two gold medals in Cviraa.
Cebu City’s athletics coach Arvin Loberanis said that it’s a good initiative for Cebu City government to do this unified training but the centralization of training most be done. “This is a good move. Wala pa
lang kaayo ma centralized tanan divisions sa trainng,” he said.
The girls’ basketball team are also working hard on the training to improve its bronze medal finish last year.
“It’s a challenge for us and we work hard to improve. We train three times a day,” said 3x3 player Kathrine Kaye Pacada of Abellana National School. /