ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanews/02 March) – The city’s delegation to the 2014 Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA) Meet has regained the championship crown despite the lack of adequate training facilities due to the 21-day standoff between government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels under founding chair Nur Misuari.
Pedro Melchor Natividad, City Division of Schools Superintendent, said the city’s delegation obtained 240.67 points in the elementary level and 333 points in the secondary level or a total of 537.67 points, making it the overall champion in both levels.
Natividad, who headed the 731-strong delegation to the ZPRAA held from February 23 to 28 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, said it is providential that this city regained the title even if the athletes were not able to use the facilities at the Mayor Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex which has been converted to an evacuation center for families displaced by the September 2013 standoff.
The sports complex was transformed into the city’s biggest evacuation center and today still houses some 3,000 families displaced by the standoff.
Natividad said the city’s athletes hauled highest points in the baseball (boys), basketball (boys), softball (girls), swimming-boys and taekwondo (boys and girls) in the elementary level and in arnis boys, athletics (boys and girls), basketball (boys), swimming (boys and girls), table tennis (girls) and taekwondo (girls) in the secondary level.
The second placer is Zamboanga del Sur with a total haul of 435 points- 159.50 for the elementary level and 275.5 points for the secondary level.
Zamboanga del Sur was the champion in last year’s ZPRAA. Zamboanga City was second.
Third place is Zamboanga del Norte with a total of 433.67 points–235.67 for the elementary level and 198 for the secondary level. Dipolog City came in fourth with 179 points for the elementary level and 252.67 points for the secondary level or a total of 431.67 points. The province of Zamboanga Sibugay landed fifth place with 270.5 points, 157 points for the elementary level and 113.5 points for the secondary level.
Pagadian City placed 6th with 256.5 points–145 points for the elementary level and 111 for the secondary level. Isabela City ranked 7th with 148.34 points, 83.67 of which for the elementary level and 64.67 points for the secondary level and Dapitan City tailed with 111.67 total points–49 points which for the elementary level and 62.67 points for the secondary level. (MindaNews)
