2011 Palaro celebrates historic events
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 19 Feb 2011
The 2011 Palarong Pambansa scheduled May 8-14 in Dapitan City will be celebrating five significant events in the history of Philippine sports.
Former congressman Romy Jalosjos, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 64th anniversary of the sporting conclave among the country?s student athletes in the elementary and secondary divisions, yesterday announced that this year?s Games will be held to commemorate the 100th year of organized sports in the country, the 150th birth anniversary of National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, the four years that he was exiled in Dapitan and the 115th year of his death.
?We hold the staging of the Palaro in Dapitan, acknowledged as the ?Shrine City? of the Philippines, very meaningful in the sense that we will also be enshrining school sports in the mind of our people, especially the youth who are not aware of the rich tradition of the Palaro and the Filipino athletes? heroics in the international sports arena,? Jalosjos said during Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session.
?It gives more meaning to this enshrinement that the 2011 Palaro coincides with the national celebration of the 100 years of sports in the Philippines,? Jalosjos added during the forum, sponsored by Coca Cola Bottler Philipines, TV-5, Mang Inasal and FILA.
Jalosjos said the people of Dapitan and the rest of the Zamboanga Peninsula are one in dedicating the 2011 Palaro in celebrating the Centennial of Philippine sports and in commemorating the great Filipino athletes the country has produced that inspired and continue to inspire the nation.
Organized sports in the country began with the establishment of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation in 1911 in what also opened the gates for the Filipino athletes to see action in the international arenas in both the amateur and professional ranks.
?The 2011 Palarong Pambansa will also be an occasion for the launching of the Renaissance of Dr. Rizal, to re-enshrine him in his rightful place in the consciousness of the youth today,? he said.
?I am leading the people of Dapitan and Zamboanga Peninsula in inviting you to witness the 2011 Palaro and experience the hospitality of the Dapitenos, enjoy the history and scenery of the land where Dr. Rizal once walked, worked, played and romanced, he said in reference to the National Hero?s four-year exile in the city before his execution from 1892 to 1896.
Dr. Rizal was born June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna and died on musketry at the Luneta on December 30, 1896.
Jalosjos then recalled Dr. Rizal?s activities as a sportsman and physical fitness enthusiast who engaged in the sports of fencing, swimming, chess and even judo, while in exile.
?Dr. Rizal spent probably the most productive four years of his life in sports. And this is the most opportune time to resurrect and revisit those, especially in judo where he is acknowledged as the first Malay to have practiced and taught the discipline,? he reminisced.
?Lastly, the schools sports community expresses its gratitude to SCOOP, its leaders and members for the oneness and support you have given to the program and to the Palaro. You are certainly a part in the labor and efforts in making the schools sports program and the Palarong Pambansa what it is today,? Jalosjos said.
Len Toledo, a former head of the Department of Education Task Force on Schools Sports who now works as consultant of the 2011 Palaro, announced that Dapitan is almost ready to host the Palaro, adding all infrastructure requirements, including the main stadium at the Rizal University are near completion.
?The engineers there during our last visit promised to complete all the requirements, including covered tennis courts on April 8 or one month before the opening ceremony.
Rose Domingo, OIC of the TFSS and Jason Razal overall Palaro coordinator on tournament management, for their parts disclosed that regional eliminations that will decide representations in the Palaro have been going on.
?Regional meets in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Southern Tagalog, Mindoro-Marinduque-Palawan and Bicol would have been finished today (Friday),? Domingo said, while those in Regions V to XII, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Cordillera and CARAGA are set starting next month until April.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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