GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Mindanao State University (MSU) - General Santos campus buzzed with excitement as athletes, coaches, and officials from across the MSU System began arriving for the 7th Mindanao State University System Athletic Association (MSUSAA) Unity Games, May 30.
Arriving from various parts of Mindanao, the coaches and athletes expressed their excitement for the competition and their awe at the sheer size of the host campus.
Sharmina Dais Santos, coach of MSU-TCTO sepak takraw, shared her surprise at the size of the MSU General Santos campus compared to their own.
“Nagulat kami, sobrang laki. Kasi sanay kami sa MSU [Tawi-Tawi] na malalapit ang buildings. Ngayon parang, wow, ang laki. Sabi namin masanay-sanay kaming maglalakad,” Santos said.
According to Santos, their team endured a 24-hour journey, first by boat and then by land, to reach General Santos City.
Dunique Daylusan, the Director for Sports Development Office (SDO) of MSU-Maguindanao, expressed her excitement for the 120 student-athletes of her team to compete in the upcoming sports competitions.
“Kasi sa amin sa Maguindanao, we don't have night activities. So I'm excited for my athletes na ma-experience nila yung mga ganoon. Meron tayong mga dinner, and evening games,”
The MSUSAA Unity Games, serve as a platform for athletic competition and cultural exchange among the diverse campuses of the Mindanao State University System. The event aims to promote camaraderie, sportsmanship, and a shared sense of identity among the students, faculty, and staff of the MSU System.
The first to arrive at MSU General Santos were delegates from MSU Sulu, followed by the arrival of teams from MSU-Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography (TCTO), MSU Maguindanao, MSU-Buug, MSU-Lanao del Norte Agricultural College (LNAC), MSU-Lanao National College of Arts and Trades (LNCAT), and MSU-Naawan in the afternoon of May 30th.
The teams from MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology (IIT), MSU-Maigo School of Arts and Trades (MSAT), MSU Sindangan, MSU-Marawi arrived later in the night.
A vibrant welcome
As part of the warm welcome for the 7th MSUSAA Unity Games, various organizations of MSU-Gensan organized a series of events designed to make the participants feel at home.
Among the programs were the Supreme Student Council’s (SSC) SAAlubong 2024, a welcoming party for the delegates of MSU Maguindanao and MSU Naawan that took place in front of the Math Building.
According to Melden Dave Casing, SSC Senator, the event is meant to build rapport with the delegates.
“Different talaga ang delegations for each college, that is why we have different welcoming parties for them,” the senator clarified.
Other welcoming programs included a welcome dinner hosted by the College of Education (COED), called Panagboay, for MSU Marawi delegates.
The College of Social Sciences and Humanities, together with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, organized a festive "SAAma-sama sa MSUSAA" welcoming party at the CNSM grounds for the MSU Tawi-Tawi, MSU IIT, MSU LNAC, and MSU Sindangan delegates.
Compete and connect
Jovito A. Padongao, a track and field runner representing MSU Maguindanao, expressed his anticipation for the fierce competition at the 7th MSUSAA Unity Games.
While acknowledging the strength of his fellow competitors, Padongao confidently affirmed his team's determination to succeed.
“Ang goal namin is makauwi with a gold medal,” Padongao said.
He emphasized that besides their training, their preparations mainly consisted of prayers.
Maria Elizabeth Sescar, a table tennis player from the same campus, expressed that aside from winning, their goal is to build friendships with other players from different campuses.
“Gusto namin manalo at makipag-friend sa iba pang MSUan. Gusto namin mas makilala sila,” she stated.
The MSUSAA Unity Games, returning after a five-year hiatus since its last iteration in 2019, serve as a platform for athletic competition and cultural exchange among the diverse campuses of the Mindanao State University System.
The games are scheduled to run from June 1 to 5 and will feature a variety of sports competitions, including basketball, volleyball, football, athletics, and more.
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