Davao City to host DAVRAA next month

J. P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City (Photo By Pascalll – Own work, Public Domain)

DAVAO CITY — Davao City will play host to some 8,000 young athletes from different cities, towns, and provinces that will be competing for the annual Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) next month.

This would be the first hosting of Davao City of DAVRAA, which was previously named Southern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (SMRAA) on 2003.

Department of Education (DepEd) Davao City Division sports director Bernabe Alicaya said there will be new and returning events in this year’s DAVRAA.

Among the new game category is the SepakTakraw Girls. He said the DepEd Davao City was also proposing for the return of boxing elementary division this year.

“We are proposing for that and it will be confirmed by next week,” he said.

In 2014, former DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro issued a memorandum to exclude elementary division in the boxing event.

This after Jonas Garcia, a fourth-year high school student died during a boxing match in Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA). Alicaya said the death of the athlete was due to wrong specifications of the boxing protective gears being used that time.

“Davao City is preparing for that. They will be purchasing the right equipment for that boxing event,” he said.

He said it’s about time to bring back the boxing event in the elementary division to improve the ‘fixture’ of the athlete and prepare them for their future career.

The event is slatedon February 17 to 23 but the opening ceremonies will be on February 18 at the University of Mindanao Sports Complex in Matina.

Alicaya said there would be no real fire during the lighting of torch because they would be using a LED torch for the opening of the games.

He said the city government would provide this technology to illuminate the sports complex during the opening program.

Alicaya added that the LED fire is also a substitute for fireworks since there is an ordinance prohibiting the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics in the city.

“This is to make the opening our program more unique from the hosting of other divisions,” he said.