SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna – This city is gearing up to host the 2018 Southern Tagalog Calabarzon Athletic Association (STCAA) Meet slated on Feb. 11-17 next year.
City Mayor Loreto S. Amante said Wednesday facelift and ground works had begun this week at the main host sporting arena of the Colonel Lauro D. Dizon Memorial National High School.
Amante has ordered the sprucing up of the athletic grounds of the high school campus for the outdoor sporting events by athletic delegations and Department of Education (DepEd) sports officials of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
He said the regional sports meet was expected to draw contenders from the Calabarzon delegation.
He added that the city government expected the provincial contenders to converge starting Feb. 9 next year for the regional sports competitions where winning athletes shall compete for the 2018 Palarong Pambansa.
DepEd officials said the STCAA Meet used to usher in 16 school divisions from the region comprising five provincial school divisions and 11 city school divisions churning out some 3,500 athletes, coaches, trainers and sports officials.
However, the regional education officials explained that the present setup requires the city school division’s delegation to be integrated into the provincial contingent.
They said the city school division participants would now compete in the provincial level where the winning athletes shall compose the five provincial competing teams for the STCAA regional meet.
In Laguna, the Laguna provincial team will be formed through the elimination games on Nov. 21 at the Santa Cruz sports complex.
Sporting the “Laguna One” team name, the provincial sports delegation shall be drawn from the six competing city schools divisions, including San Pablo City, for the provincial contenders in the 2018 STCAA Meet.
Sports officials expect a reduction of each provincial contingent to only 250 athletes, coaches, trainers, chaperons and game officials or an estimated 1,300 sports participants for the regional meet scheduled next year.
Ilocos Sur will host the 2018 Palarong Pambansa, and not Baguio City as earlier reported. (Patrick R. Briñas/PNA)
