WNCAA opens 38th season on Saturday

Eighteen schools will plunge into battle starting this Saturday when the 38th Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) opens its new season at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Host Lyceum of the Philippines University, the defending Seniors A basketball and volleyball champion, hopes to present "the grandest opening rites in the history of the WNCAA." "Being a founding member of the WNCAA, this is a grand event for us and we have been preparing for this for a long time," said university president Roberto Laurel. Carrying the theme "Women Conquering the Challenges of Sports", the WNCAA will again have their following regular members: • Angelicum College • Centro Escolar University • Chiang Kai Shek College • College of St. Benilde • De La Salle Zobel • Emilio Aguinaldo College • La Consolacion College • La Salle College Antipolo • Miriam College • Rizal Technological University • San Beda College-Alabang • St. Scholastica's College • St. Stephen's High School • University of Asia and the Pacific • World Citi Colleges. Second-year members Philippine Women's University and St. Francis of Assisi College will complete their probation status this season. Midgets, junior, and senior championships are at stake in basketball, volleyball, futsa (the official FIFA indoor soccer game)l, cheerleading, table tennis, badminton, swimming, lawn tennis, taekwondo, and athletics. or the first time this season, there will be a idgets competition for cheerleading. Organizers might also include dodgeball in the league's calendar. The basketball, volleyball, and futsal matches will run until October while the rest of the events will be played starting January. They will be played at St. Scholastica's, Rizal Technological University, and Miriam College. The 5th National Games will be hosted by Central Luzon on January 31 to February 3, 2008. National president Vivian Manila said the WNCAA recognizes the achievements of the so-called big leagues UAAP and NCAA, but it's proud that theirs is the only tri-level, multi-event tournament for women. "In our own way, we have helped the women athletes in the country show their potentials. We have also lent some of our athletes to the Philippine team," said Manila, also the representative of St. Scholastica's. - GMANews.TV