(Eagle News) — The organizers of the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s Unity Games International reported how the finals of the sports events have gone smoothly as some 2,000 athletes from 17 countries worldwide showcased their sportsmanship, camaraderie and unity through sports.
INC Unity Games International committee member Bro. Joel San Pedro, an INC minister, said the games have gone smoothly since Saturday morning (July 25) in at least 10 venues in Metro Manila where INC athletes from the Philippines and from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Africa participated in various sports competitions.
“The brethren were just happy together, showing their unity. They were happy to participate in the Unity Games envisioned by the Church Administration,” Bro. Joel San Pedro said.
He said that the athletes have prepared for more than three years for these special events that were among the centennial closing activities of the INC.
The athletes from abroad represented the best INC athletes in their countries. They will compete, along with the athletes from the Philippines, in 12 sports events namely basketball, volleyball, football, baseball, swimming, tennis, table tennis, badminton, bowling, chess, taekwondo, and track and field.
The teams that will win today, July 25, will advance to the championship matches scheduled tomorrow, Sunday, at the Philippine Arena and the Philippine Stadium in Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Bro. Joel said the Unity Games International was the culmination of the sports events for the brethren all over the world that were envisioned by INC Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo.
The Unity Games were first held on May 21 and 28, 2011, at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, with total attendance of spectators estimated at over 100,000. It was followed by an even larger event in May 2012. From January 19 to February 9, 2013, regional championships were held in 19 sites all over the Philippines. While the inter-regional championships were held in 2013 until 2014 in the Philippines, Unity Games were also held in different countries around the world, such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia within the said time frame. The largest of these was the Unity Games U.S. National Championships which were held on May 24, 2014 in Hayward, California.
Launched in 2011, the INC Unity Games was conceived by INC Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, “to nurture the love of the brethren for one another and further solidify their unity” through sports. Under the supervision of the Christian Family Organizations Committee led by Brother Angelo V. Manalo, the Unity Games has grown to becomeone of the biggest multi-sport leagues in the country.