by Gian Carlo D. Camacho

On October 24-26, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) varsity team will travel up north to the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija to compete in the 2013 CLSU-UPLB Friendship Games. This sports activity is a dual meet that will involve the members of the varsity teams, faculty, and staff of CLSU and UPLB.

According to UPLB Sports and Recreation Chair Sofronio C. Camacho, the said friendship game is a revival of the dual meet that was last played by the two universities in 1981. He also added that the budget for the UPLB team was already approved by UPLB chancellor, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, last September 23 to cover costs for transportation, food, and accommodation for the UPLB contingent.

UPLB Sports and Recreation committee finalizes plans for the friendship games with Prof Jay C. Santos (man in blue jacket), the director of the Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation of CLSU.

About 300 UPLB student athletes and officials are expected to participate in the said friendship games. The sports events include volleyball, basketball, swimming, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, futsal, soccer, sepak takraw, athletics, karatedo, taekwondo, baseball, chess, and beach volleyball. The friendship games will also include some sports events for the faculty and staff such as lawn tennis, badminton, basketball, volleyball, slow pitch softball, and bowling. In the whole three-day friendship games, international rules will be followed unless modified and agreed on by technical committees from both teams.

The various events for the faculty and staff will be played on the afternoon of October 24 while the events for the varsity teams will be played whole day of October 25. There will be a President’s Night for the university officials on October 24.