COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) finished 14th in the recently concluded 2015 Palarong Pambansa, two notches higher from its rank in the annual games last year.
The ARMM delegates bagged a total of 10 medals in the regular sports and three medals in the demonstration games.
The region’s taekwondo team grabbed two gold medals, two silvers and five bronzes while the athletics team bagged another gold medal. For the demonstration game, the wushu team grabbed one silver and one bronze medal while the region’s beach volleyball took home the gold medal.
Al-Trekee Dayan, director of ARMM’s Regional Sports Coordinating Office (RSCO), attributes the slight improvement in the region’s ranking with the strong collaboration of his office with the Department of Education (DepEd)-ARMM.
He said intensive preparations were conducted for the athletes.
Dayan said they conducted home-based trainings for the athletes after the ARMM’s regional athletics meet on 26 February to 01 March 2015 and in-house trainings were held in Tagum City, 15 days before the actual Palaro.
The RSCO also secured the athlete’s basic amenities like food, transportation, vitamins and uniforms among others. The DepEd, on the other hand, provided P3,000 allowance for each athlete.
The ARMM contingent was composed of approximately 500 athletes.
The head supervisors of ARMM’s five component provinces together with the RSCO and the DepEd-ARMM are currently evaluating and assessing the overall performance of the region in this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Dayan said results of the evaluation can help improve the performance of the region in next year’s games and in other sporting events.
He said ARMM aims to be in the top 10 in the next Palarong Pambansa. He also emphasized the need to inculcate to the youth the value of sports and its role in fostering peace.
ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the regional government fully supports the programs on sports development in the region.
“Sa susunod na Palaro, mas malaki ang suporta na ibibigay natin sa mga atleta. We will emphasize on the sports na may edge tayo,” she said.
The 2015 Palarong Pambansa was held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte from May 3-9 with the theme “Breaking Boarders, Building Peace”. (Bureau of Public information)
20
