Cebu athletes eye performance boost after 5th place Palaro finish

CEBU CITY: Athletes in Central Visayas will return to the drawing board to focus on enhancing their performance in preparation for the 2025 national games, a sports official said on Tuesday. John Pages, chair of the Cebu City Sports Commission, said the region's athletes' fifth place finish in the just-concluded Palarong Pambansa is commendable yet "slightly disappointing." Still, the record for this year's national meet surpassed the 2023 medal tally with 110 medals --29 gold, 42 silver, and 39 bronze. 'The focus will be particularly on the ball games, volleyball, football, futsal, and basketball. We hoped our home court advantage would work out, but unfortunately, it did not,' Pages said. Meanwhile, Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas praised the city government's hosting of the Palaro, saying it 'exceeded expectations.' He said one of the suitable lessons learned was the city's giving priority to the athletes' health condition, citing the immediate response of the infirmary and medical teams. 'We have a good lesson like the engagement, involvement, and active and voluntary participation of the private sector in Cebu City,' Bringas said, citing private schools and private establishments that lent their space as venues for different sports events. He said the lack of water and toilet facilities, as well as the discrepancy in the track oval measurement, are among the lessons learned. Acting Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros said in a press conference that the contractor of the Cebu Sports Center's track oval will have many questions to answer after the Palaro. Source: Philippines News Agency