4 games debut at SOX regional athletic meet

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato - Billiard, wushu, wrestling and futsal take first appearance as competitive sports at the Soccsksargen Regional Athletic Association (SRAA) Meet in North Cotabato this week, an official of the Department of Education announced.

"These games were exhibition games in the past but will now form part of the regular events to be competed for the first time in the Palarong Pambansa, DepEd 12 Director Arturo Bayocot said.

Wushu is a contemporary Chinese martial arts that combines elements of performance and martial application.

Futsal, on the other hand, is a variation of football played on a smaller pitch, usually indoor, on a hard court.

Bayocot is confident, Soccsksargen Region will excel in wushu is the Palaro saying "it is a good chance for us that wushu becomes a regular event because we have a gold medal in this event even when it was still a demo game.

Soccsksargen Regional Athletic Association Meet opened on Saturday (Feb. 18) and will continue until Wednesday (Feb, 22).

It is being participated by nearly 5,000 athletes, coaches and technical personnel from the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan, Tacurong, and Cotabato.

Besides the four new sports events, athletes will compete in arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, sepak takraw, football, gymnastics, sipa, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.

Games are played at the Provincial Capitol Compound in Amas, Kidapawan City and nearby towns of Matalam, Kabacan and M'lang.

Winners will represent Soccsksargen Region in the Palarong Pambansa in Antique on April 23-29. DEDoguiles