Sports

Hidilyn Diaz and Monico Puentevella* The Negros Occidental provincial government will honor weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to ever win an Olympic gold medal in 97 years, at the Capitol in Bacolod City at 2 p.m. Friday, September 10, Monico Puentevella, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president, said. The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan Thursday, Sept. 9, passed a resolution congratulating Diaz for her gold medal win in the Tokyo Olympics and conferring on her the title of adopted daughter of the province of Negros Occidental. The Filipino nation is proud of the achievement of Diaz for bringing pride and glory to the Philippines, SP Resolution 0751 Series of 2021, said. The province of Negros Occidental acknowledges the hard work, determination and...

Monico Puentevella and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.* Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he would like to see Senator Manny Pacquiao win the first boxing gold for the Philippines in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. If ever Pacquiao considers fighting again, Lacson said he hopes it will be in the Olympics that now allows professional boxers to join. In the Olympics he will only have to fight three rounds, Lacson said, when it was pointed out that the boxing icon would be 45 by then. Pacquiao, 42, was defeated by Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, 35, during their WBA welterweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday. “I think it was convincing win for Ugas,” Lacson said. Lacson said maybe the senator will consider hanging up his gloves, but if he decides to fight again he...

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, who was defeated by Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas during their WBA welterweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, “will always be our people’s champ”, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Sunday, August 22. It was 42-year-old Pacquiao’s first fight after a two-year absence from the ring, against Ugas, 35, who won by unanimous decision. “Our good senator lost to the better boxer today. Obviously, the lapse of two years from his last fight has not helped him in this fight plus the fact that he has aged by another two years,” Lacson said. Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leoardia said, “While we are stunned by the unexpected result of the fight of our adopted son, Senator Manny Pacquiao, in his WBA title… we saw that he put up a gallant fight worthy of...

Two coaches from Bago City in Negros Occidental are behind the silver medal win of boxer Nesthy Petecio in the Tokyo Olympics and of two others who are assured of bronze medals. Bago City congratulates Petecio, who made history as the first Filipina to win in the Olympics, and her coaches Nolito “Boy” Velasco and Olympian Reynaldo Galido from Bago City, Mayor Nicholas Yulo said Wednesday, August 4. Yulo said Velasco was also instrumental in the successful Olympic boxing bids of his brothers. Roel Velasco won a bronze medal in Barcelona in 1992 and Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco won a Silver medal in Atlanta in 1996. Petecio said she had wanted to win the gold in Japan so she could dedicate it to Coach Boy. “Behind every great athlete is a masterful coach that inspires the ath...

Former Bacolod City mayor and representative Monico Puentevella, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president, with Hidilyn Diaz as she wins the Philippines first Olympic gold in Tokyo, Japan, Monday night, July 26.*Contributed photo Hidilyn Diaz winning the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, Japan, proves that Filipinos can rise above the worst of times, Monico Puentevella, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) president, said Tuesday, July 27. “It is an inspiring story of a Pinay from humble beginnings who has overcome poverty and misery through hard work, faith in God and oneself,” said Puentevella, former Bacolod mayor and congressman. Diaz edged out world champion Liao Qiuyun of China in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition to win the gold. Pu...

Hidilyn Diaz and a jubilant Monico Puentevella after she won the Olympic gold medal Monday night, July 26.* Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Hidilyn Diaz winning the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo Monday night, July 26, should be “an inspiration to future athletes, that we Filipinos can compete against the world’s best.” Diaz edged out world champion Liao Qiuyun of China in the women's 55kg weightlifting competition to win the gold. Former Bacolod mayor and representative Monico Puentevella, Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president, earlier expressed confidence that Diaz would bring home the gold. “Congratulations to Hidalyn Diaz on our very first Olympic Gold for the Philippines,” Lacson said. Lacson also congratulated Puentevella, ...

Team Philippines led by Negrense Ines Lovina Santiago beat athletes from Japan and Australia to win the Ironman Asia Pacific Virtual Race Team Challenge Friday morning. The Philippine Team won $5,000, which they are donating to the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation, said Santiago, who grew up in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. “Our team raced for the benefit of the NVC Foundation's Mingo Feeding Program. This initiative has continued to feed and monitor malnourished children in impoverished parts of the Philippines while at the same time providing livelihood to local farmers”, she said. The $5,000 will provide 40,000 Mingo meals, a nutritious instant complementary food made of rice, mongo (mung beans), and malunggay (moringa), to malnurished children, she said. ...