Barring last minute hitches, it’s all systems go for this year’s hosting of Bohol of the 2011 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVRAA Meet) which fires off with a grand parade this afternoon, this according to Division Supt. Lorna Rances yesterday. The start of sports hostilities will begin tomorrow until the playing of championship games on Friday. Hosts of this year’s regional games are the Division of Bohol and the Division of the City of Tagbilaran. According to Dr. Rances, almost 7,000 athletes from 19 teams of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor schools compete in the grueling four-day sports and cultural competitions to pick out the region’s best to comprise a team for the Palarong Pambansa.Participating teams include the biggest delegation of Cebu Province (710 athletes and delegates) followed by Cebu City (690), Bohol Division (638), Mandaue City (632), Dumaguete City (588), Negros Oriental (560), Lapu-lapu City (528), Talisay City (520), Danao City (416), Bayawan City (360), Bais City division (315), Bogo, Carcar and Toledo cities (300 each), Siquijor (235), Naga and Tanjay (250 each), Guihulngan City, 248 and Tagbilaran City, according to data from the DepEd.

Bohol hosts this year’s CVRAA event while the Department of Education (DepED) has earlier coordinated to raise the P8M budget needed to bring the thrill and excitement of the best regional athletic competition to Bohol soil, according to Governor Edgar Chatto. Information from the Bohol Division of the Department of Education shows that the athletic competition breaks out in at least 18 venues in Tagbilaran city and nearby towns after the opening ceremonies Monday afternoon. Hub of most sports competitions is the newly refurbished Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex where most of the athletics events (elem. and sec. boys and girls), basketball (elem. boys), football (elem. and sec. boys), tennis (sec. boys and girls), swimming (elem. and sec boys and girls) and volleyball games (sec. boys) are to be held. Aside from the CPG Complex, sports competitions are also expected to be hotly contested at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Taloto District (elementary baseball and volleyball), Maribojoc Central Elementary School grounds (baseball).

Victoriano D. Tirol Sports Oval (softball for elem. and sec. girls), some matches for basketball sec. boys and athletics’ throwing events for both elem. and secondary), Holy Name University (HNU) Main Gym (basketball sec. girls), HNU Dampas (taekwondo for elem. and sec. boys and girls and volleyball elem. girls), Dao Covered Court (secondary girls volleyball). Archery for both boys and girls shoot at the Camp Gov. Esteban Bernido in Dao, while Bohol Island State University hosts the sec. boys and girls’ arnis matches. Elementary and secondary badminton for boys and girls are played at the Upper (Eastern) Cogon Covered Court while spectators can expect a good trading of punches when shopping with boxing matches for elem. and sec are set at the activity center of the Island City Mall.

CVRAA’s cultural competitions for the secondary levels unfold at the Bohol Cultural Center while chess boards open for both elem. and sec. boys and girls at the BPSTEA building along Tamblot Street. Maribojoc Cultural center is the venue for all the gymnastics events for boys and girls in the elem. and sec. while Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School hosts the sepak takraw for sec boys and sipa for elem. boys. Table tennis for Elementary and secondary for boys and girls open at the University of Bohol Gym, tennis for elem. girls happen at the People’s Mansion tennis Court while Capitol tennis court hosts the tennis for elem. boys. Meanwhile, Gov. Edgar Chatto called all Boholanos, especially those near the sports venues to be hospitable tour-guides to delegates and athletes. He said TaRSIER has eyes on the events while closed circuit televisions have been installed in some of the venues should easily pick those who disrupt the flow of events. Bohol Police Director Constantino Barot has also ordered police deputies scattered along the venues and barangay tanods have been mobilized for the events. [With reports from Rey Anthony Chiu)