Tubod, Lanao del Norte-Governor Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo expressed his gratitude to the Palarong Pambansa and NMRAA athletes in a thanksgiving dinner held in their behalf recently at the Mindanao Civic Center swimming pool area for bringing glory and honor to Lanao del Norte.

In both sports competition, the archery, lawn tennis and arnis athletes grabbed the gold medals. Elgen Altubar got five while Ellen Gintapa  and Edwin Berondo got one gold medal  each in archery. Bernandine Andrew Bering won  gold  in lawn tennis and Danilo Anticamara and Evangeline Yu got gold medals in arnis.

The other athletes brought home silver and bronze medals in sepak takraw, discus throw and goal ball for the differently-abled persons, gymnastics, chess, volleyball, athletics, taekwondo, badminton, swimming and boxing.

Lanao del Norte Department of Education Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Maria Luisa B. Mutia, CESO-V thanked Governor Dimaporo for acknowledging the talents and capabilities of the athletes which brought to the province glory and honor and for setting a special occasion that make the athletes and coaches definitely valued.

“I am very much thankful to our young and energetic Governor for giving his support in all the sports competition wherein we have delegates in every sports event. This is to show to the entire nation that Lanao del Norte athletes are competitive despite our rather obsolete equipment especially in archery. But I believe Governor Dimaporo will help us solve this problem so that we will always bring home the bacon not just in archery but in other sports category as well,” Mutia said.

Responding, Governor Dimaporo declared that he will find ways to augment the sports facility around the province. “I am more than willing to help DepEd in order to have updated sports equipment for our athletes. Under the Kabataan Sigurado Program, hahanapan namin ng paraan so that our athletes will be ready and well-trained for the next sports competition and once again bring honor to our province,” said Dimaporo.

In the same forum, Dr. Mutia gave cash incentives to the athletes and their coaches.

Breezy C. Jimenez/PIO staff