25th MILO Little Olympics National Finals to be Held in Marikina

Regional teams to challenge reigning three-peat champ Team Visayas for Perpetual Trophy

Manila, Philippines, October 12, 2012 – The MILO Little Olympics, the country’s premier nationwide junior interschool sports competition, is set to kick off its National Finals with a stellar display of sportsmanship and camaraderie. 1, 500 of the nation’s finest young athletes are gearing up to compete for the coveted title on October 19-21, 2012 at the Marikina Sports Park, Marikina City, marking the first ever MILO Little Olympics National Finals in Manila.

Making their way into the final games are elementary division regional champions Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School (Team NCR), University of Baguio (Team Luzon), University of San Carlos (Team Visayas), City Central School – CDOC (Team Mindanao), and secondary division regional champions University of the East (Team NCR), Holy Angel University (Team Luzon), University of Cebu (Team Visayas) and Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (Team Mindanao).

This year, reigning champion Team Visayas is looking to bring home its fourth grand slam title and claim the record of having the longest winning streak in the National Finals.

Student-athletes from the four regions will assert their dominance in 12 sports disciplines namely athletics, badminton, chess, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, tae kwon do and volleyball, sipa or sepaktakraw and scrabble.

About 30,000 spectators from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are expected to attend the event and witness an astounding display of the nation’s athletic prowess. “The MILO Little Olympics National Finals is an avenue through which student-athletes from across the country are able to exhibit athletic skill, character, and discipline in their respective sports events. They will also be able to showcase the vibrant cultural heritage of their regions through field demonstrations during the opening ceremonies. The teams are all proud and privileged to represent their home regions in a national competition like this. This serves as a good motivation for them to strive harder to take home this year’s trophy,” said NCR regional organizer Dr. Robert Milton Calo.

With the National Finals coinciding with the periodic exams, academic institutions are working around the clock to level student-athletes’ involvement in both sports and studies. “We truly believe that student-athletes’ determination to fulfill their goals in school will drive them to achieve greatness in all their endeavors. In the true spirit of perseverance, MILO does not only provide opportunities for our little champions to excel in sports, but we also proactively encourage and motivate them to excel in academics,” said Robbie de Vera, MILO Sports Executive.

Organizers said major preparations are underway to ensure the success of the culmination event. “Like every MILO Little Olympics leg, our main priority is the students’ safety. To demonstrate this commitment, we are deploying medical and security teams to different areas surrounding the complex. Our staff members have also been trained to manage all probable incidents during the three-day affair,” said Calo. “We aim to set a standard for the National Finals moving forward. This year’s [National Finals] will be the grandest yet in terms of logistics and competition.”

For 25 years, the premiere annual national sporting event for the country’s youth has developed emerging athletes and launched notable talents in the country today. MILO Little Olympics aims to open the national arena to student-athletes across the nation and produce quality competitions to shape talents for the global athletic scene.

For more information, please log on to the MILO Philippines Facebook page and follow the MILO Twitter account (@MiloPH).