Excitement for the opening of the 15th Philippine University Games (UniGames) Oct. 24 builds up as the number of participating schools from around the country increases to 56.
Registration at Silliman University, this year’s UniGames host, started as early as Oct. 20. Over 2,300 delegates have confirmed participation, including the top contending teams in Manila. {{more}}
Holy Angel University in Pampanga, Brokenshire College in Davao; National University, De La Salle University, and Far Eastern University in Manila were the first five schools to register on campus.
The UniGames committee also hosted a Sports Science Seminar at the SU Multimedia Center. Sports science is a study of the use of scientific techniques in improving athletic performance. It covers sports nutrition, physiology, psychology, and fluids. The seminar had Alfred Manguiat (Bodivance/HDI), Nino Sinco (Fluids Guidelines for Sports Performance), Luz Callanta (Basic Principles of Sports Nutrition), and Hercules Callanta (Training and Conditioning for Sports) as speakers.
Commissioner Joaquin “Chito” Loyzaga of the Philippine Sports Commission gave words of encouragement to the participants, mostly coaches and officials from the different participating schools.
“This is a first in the UniGames, and will [continue to]be part of it,” Loyzaga said, expressing support for the inclusion of similar such seminars in the UniGames and the eventual integration of sports science into the academic curriculum.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles are vying to win their third championship in basketball. University of Sto. Tomas topped last year’s volleyball, women’s football, and athletics; while Rizal Technological University scored in taekwondo, men’s athletics, and sepak takraw.
The UniGames, largely supported by the provincial government of Negros Oriental and the city government of Dumaguete, offers 14 sports events spread across the Silliman campus and sports facilities in the partner universities and local government units like Asian College of Science & Technology, Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria, Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University, St. Paul University, and the municipalities of Valencia and Zamboanguita.
Started in 1996, the UniGames is the only national collegiate sports competition organized in the country, first hosted by the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City. The goal is to gather the finest varsity athletes from private and government universities from all over the country in the spirit of fair play, friendship, and top-caliber competition. (UniGames Media Center)
