NOPSSCEA MEET: Collegiate volleyball, swimming, lawn tennis scrapped

The chairman of the NOPSSCEA Sports Task Force yesterday announced the scrapping of collegiate volleyball, lawn tennis and swimming from the roster of events in the 27th edition of the private schools sports competition in Bacolod City.

At the NOPSSCEA STF meeting at the University of St. La Salle, chairman Roger Banzuela cited the lack of teams in his decision to drop the events from this year’s calendar.

Only La Salle has a team in swimming and lawn tennis, while University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and USLS have been the only teams playing for the volleyball crowns the past few years.

The NOPSSCEA rule book states that four teams are needed for an event to push through but Banzuela took exception in the men’s football competition, where only three teams --- West Negros College, USLS and UNO-R --- are expected to see action.

Banzuela said only exhibition games will be staged for collegiate volleyball to determine the players for the Regional Private Schools Athletic Association Meet.

A time trial for swimming may be held to determine the composition of the NOPSSCEA squad for the PRISAA, Banzuela said.

The former Philippine volleyball president expressed optimism that the scrapping of the events will yield positive results in next year’s competition.

“I hope this will serve as a challenge to other schools to put up teams in these events as well next year,” he told the 30 sports moderators of NOPSSCEA member-schools, who attended yesterday’s meeting at USLS’ Room 10.

The players who are under scholarship will be the ones who will be most affected if their teams disband, he added.

He also welcomed the announcement of Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod to participate in the NOPSSCEA collegiate volleyball tournament next year.

Banzuela also announced that Riverside College will be tasked to head the screening committee of the athletes in the collegiate division, while the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Talisay and USLS will hold the position in the secondary and elementary divisions, respectively.

The sports moderators also submitted the events that their schools will participate in this year’s competition but the list is unavailable as of press deadline.
Banzuela said schools have until July 21 to make changes of the events they will join. The Task Force also scheduled the submission of requirements from Aug. 21-30, he said.

Players must not be born after Jan. 2, 1990 to be eligible for the high school competition, while the elementary players cut-off birthdate for elementary athletes is Jan. 2, 1995. In the aspirants’ level, the cut-off birthdate is June 16, 1992.
Except for the developmental league (aspirants and 10-Under), the sports meet will be held from Sept. 23-28, coinciding with the NOPSSCEA Week.

Banzuela said he will consider the proposal of WNC sports moderator Romulo Estrebillo to explore the possibility of holding an alternative tournament to fill the vacuum in the sports calendar after the NOPSSCEA. *Cedelf P. Tupas