10 Aklan athletes head to Dapitan Palarong Pambansa
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Ten elementary and high school athletes from Aklan are joining the 2011 Palarong Pambansa hosted by Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte from May 8 to 14 to represent Region 6.

The athletes are top performers of the recent Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet in Iloilo City.

Mary Ann Lopez of DepEd Aklan said the athletes in the elementary level are Cyra Shane Casidsid (high jump), Angelica de Josef (800 meters) and Jasmine Tayco (long jump) are entered in athletics girls, Vince Montana will be the lone entry of Aklan for boxing (kiddie), Reynel Jade Ninofranco for volleyball boys and swimmers Isabella Selyn Ibarreta and Ada Beatriz Ortega.

In the secondary level, Cyrene Joy Magbanua will be competing in athletics girls (long jump), Raymundo Salmingo for boxing (pinweight) and Hans Erich Yu for volleyball boys.

Bannered by the theme, “Enshrining School Sports," Dapitan City in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, acknowledged as the ‘Shrine City’ of the Philippines, is ready to host the 63rd edition of the Palarong Pambansa in celebration of the Centennial of the Philippine Sports and the 150th birth anniversary of national hero Jose Rizal.

The grand opening ceremony of the national games, which is supported by the DepEd Regional Office IX and DepEd Division Office of Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, will be held on May 8 at the Jose Rizal Memorial State University in Dapitan City.

More than 14,000 athletes, games officials, coaches and chaperons across the country from 17 delegations will compete in 16 disciplines in the elementary and 17 in the high school division.

The playing venues are : archery (ZN Sports Complex Archery Range), arnis (RMI covered court), athletics (Jose Rizal Memorial State University), badminton (Dapitan City Cultural and Sports Center), baseball (Zanorte Sports Complex and JRMSU Katipunan open field), basketball (ZN Sports and Cultural Center, DMC gymnasium and JRSMU gym), boxing (Gallera de Dapitan), chess (Zanorte Convention Center ground floor), football (Barcelona National High School, JRSMU Sports Complex and Barcelona Central School) and gymnastics (Polanco Municipal Gymnasium).

Other venues are sipa (Barangay Poblacion North Gym), sepak takraw ( Pinan Municipal Gym), softball (Galas Open Field), swimming (JRMSU Sports Complex), taekwondo (Norm NJF), table tennis (Zanorte Teacher’s Gym, tennis (Dakak Tennis Court, JRMSU Tennis Court, Mibang Country Club and Polanco Tennis Court) and volleyball (Dapitan City NHS volleyball court and Bagting open court).