Only in Compostela Valley
Water volleyball, anyone?
NABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley — If you think Compostela Valley is landlocked, think again. The province actually has three coastal towns starting with Maco, adjacent to Tagum City, then Mabini, and finally Pantukan, at the doorstep to Banay-banay in Davao Oriental.
Surprising, it took an almost land-locked valley to pioneer the holding of an outdoor water volleyball, perhaps the first in the region or, for that matter, in Mindanao and the whole nation.
“The most common beach sports event is beach volleyball, but Compostela Valley wants to impress on other non-landlocked provinces that there is such a thing as playing volleyball with half of the body submerged in water…and this water is not swimming pool water,” Compostela Valley provincial tourism officer Christine T. Dompor said.
The idea, Dompor said, had seemed childish at first when she and her tourism staff conceptualized the holding of the First Provincial Beach Sports Festival on June 7-14 as part of the 2nd Provincial Sports Festival.
The lined-up events were the regular competitions in beach volleyball for both men and women at Beach View Resort in Pindasan, Mabini, an Amazing Race in Manaklay Beach Resort also in Pindasan, and a Reggae Band competition in Beach View Resort, also in the same coastal village.
“We had to start from scratch, we had no umpires, and practically no way how to go about refereeing the sports event,” the provincial tourism officer said. “What we did was to modify the rules on beach volleyball and apply it to the water volleyball,” she added.
The event was held at the sprawling clean beach of Welborn Beach Resort in Magnaga, Pantukan. Mrs. Marina Welborn, vice president of the Provincial Tourism Council and the Small Hotels, and Resorts Association of Compostela Valley, was only to happy to host the pioneer sports activity.
Surprisingly, ten teams from Davao City, Tagum City, and Compostela Valley signed in for the event that opened on June 12 at 9:15 in time for the high tide.
Players milled on waist-high seawaters, and like frolicking dolphins, played the strange water game against the backdrop of Samal island far off and an overcast sky while a crowd watched dry on the shore as the young men and women competitors pummeled the volley ball, swishing and floating within a fluid court.
When the sprays settled, Tagum Team A surfaced champion. Davao City came in as 1st runner-up followed by Tagum Team B as 2nd runner-up, and Nabunturan as 3rd runner-up.
Tagum Team A was composed of Medel M. Monceda, Daryl Kim B. Lapiz, Karen Kay L. Quilario, and Honey Paraiso.
The other team compositions were:
1st Runner-Up (Davao City): Jessan E. Tano, Jennifer D. Conde, Ryan John D. Conde, and Paulo M. Seville. 2nd Runner Up (Tagum Team B): Beryl Magangos, Gian Carlo Pineda, Lovely Jane Omega, and Charisa Patindol. 3rd Runner-Up (Nabunturan): Francis Kirby Arbes, Jefty E. Amora, Cherry Pie Guardados, and Marilyn Magbanua.
The other teams were: Pantukan A – Michael Cantones, Gerlie Cantones, Peter Sancho, and Leah Grace Bagac. Pantukan B – Michael Tumando, Jesmar Retiza, Jesa Batro, and Bryan __.
A tourism event, Vivencia Secuya, president of the PTC, and her staff, Marina Welborn, vice president of the resorts association, Bebing Omandac of Beach View Resort, and the full force of the provincial tourism office milled with the crowd and participants during the week-long event capped by the Reggae Band competition.
The Provincial Sports Development Council headed by Isabelo Melendres, Executive Assistant IV, donated the cash prizes and trophies trophy to the winners.
What is water volleyball?
It is a game played by many around the world, mostly indoors in large swimming pools. It is both an individual and team sport played between two teams, each team consisting of 1 to 4 players, depending on the area of water.
The game, an indoor sports event, was created in November 2008 by the Internationasl Federation of Water Volleyball. (jpa/comval)
Filed under: Chiongkee Uy, TOURISM, compostala valley
