Athletics in Pelaez Sportscentre, Cagayan de Oro city, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines on
thursday 16, friday 17 and saterday 18 August 2007

Patrick Congob trying hard 5000 meters

_Although I'm a swimmer from young age on, I ignored the swimmingpool and was watching for three days what happened in the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sportscentre in the oval arena.
One Oro Sunday Runner was representing the Misamis Oriental team and his result was a first place in 3000 meter steeple and a third place in the juniors 1500 meters.
Before in the competition of 5000 meter the opponents were too much strong, so Patrick saved his energy and stopped half way the race.

Patrick takes a rest, in the background the swimmingpool

_What can I say about this festival?
Before I noticed there was some unusual activity in the sportscentre, because the basketball- and vollyball fields were going to be painted, even the swimmingpool was having a facelift and the very neglected flagmasts were also prepared for a new usage.
The oval was cleaned from grass and the area for the long jump was suddenly visible from under the grass.
_But still not any message in the sportscentre itself about the coming events, untill I found the gate closed on a sundaymorning because of the preparations for what?
I already noticed that management in the sportscentre is very poor.
Still, I was surprised when the games started, how poor the track was and stayed during the running events.
_It is an oval with a sand surface but in the sand are many stones, that's what I'm used to when I'm doing my training for some years.
But I was shocked that the track was left still in the same condition, there was no cleaning at all from any debris in the running tracks, and I was more surprised when I saw a girl running on bare feet!
_So, I know already this is just 'the Philippines' BUT, I know also that basketball is very much more popular then athletics BUT an event like this deserves still a good director in every sports discipline to let everything happen in the best and most positive way. Obviously there was no person like this and what about the so called olympic flame, it was giving a terrible bad smoke what was hindering the athletes on the track and in the swimmingpool.
The fuel for hardly a flame was just a couple of coconuts and later on some used wood.
Even someone was burning his garbage inside the sportscomplex what also caused a bad smoke for the athletes....
_What I heard is that Zamboanga has a rubberized athletic oval and that city or province is not better or more rich than CDO or Misamis Oriental at all!
NO, Cagayan de Oro is a poor city, it's clearly visible in the sports accommodations and there is more ..................
Anyway, I enjoyed the athletics very much.

Patrick during 1500 meters Senior and Junior runners

Redactie: c.s. rijskamp
Cagayan de Oro, August 26 2007

 

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