Sports

Alex Eala celebrating her victory.*WTA Facebook page photo“At the end of the fight, heart spoke. Alex Eala's victory is a victory for every Filipino who doesn't know how to give up,”  Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) wrote on his Facebook post today, August 4.Benitez was reacting to Eala’s  win at the Mubadala Citi DC Open Final in Washington, where she made history as the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA (Women's Tennis Association) Tour title by beating world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also earlier congratulated Eala on Facebook for her historic achievement.“You continue to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits,” he...

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya has formally asked the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) to conduct an immediate investigation into alleged game manipulation during the July 28 match between the Bulacan Kuyas and the Bacolod MassKara.In a letter dated Thursday, July 30, addressed to MPBL officials, Gasataya cited widespread public concern over the Bacolod team's performance during its 100-64 loss at the Pasay Astrodome.The mayor said the team's nearly eight-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter, unusual player rotations, and several missed scoring opportunities fueled online speculation about possible game-fixing."As a huge basketball fan myself, I am mindful that scoring slumps may occur. But the passive on-court deme...

Team Philippines from Sagay City in Negros Occidental * Sagay City Tourism and Information Office photoSagay City in Negros Occidental won the championship in the Girls 14 Under Division of the 2026 PONY International Softball World Series held in McAllen, Texas in the United States on Monday (Philippine time).The Negrense softbelles swept Mexico’s RXII Kino Team in the finals to clinch the title after finishing only fourth in last year’s tournament.“Rising above more than 30 teams, our young athletes battled through 11 games from the elimination round to the championship,” Sagay City OIC-Schools Division Superintendent Dannie Clark Uguil said in a Facebook post.Uguil said the Negrense student-athletes’ “remarkable achievement reflects the power of teamwork, discipline, res...

 Mayor Greg Gasataya is optimistic about getting the sports facilities in Bacolod   ready for the city's hosting of the Batang Pinoy 2026 in December, particularly the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum.As of Wednesday, the PHP850-million indoor arena located at the boundary of Alijis and Tangub is under construction, with 76 percent completion reported this June.In a statement, Gasataya said the coliseum is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year.“Bacolod is all in when it comes to hosting Batang Pinoy,” he said.Gasataya joined the Philippine Sports Commission officials led by Chairman John Patrick Gregorio, as well as executives from the Department of Education and Department of the Interior and Local Government, in sharing preparation updates duri...

The crime scene  in Pontevedra*The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has expressed full confidence in the Bacolod City’s readiness to host Batang Pinoy 2026 from December 12 to 18.Speaking during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, June 23, at the PSC Main Building inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, PSC Chairman John Patrick “Pato” Gregorio highlighted the strong partnership between the PSC and Bacolod City in staging Batang Pinoy and other sports development initiatives, a Bacolod City Communications Office press release said.“That’s what I always say when asked about the criteria for considering an LGU, a city, or a province to host a PSC event in partnership with DepEd and DILG. It’s important to note how involved the mayor a...

Sophia Louie Begre-Lacson in Thailand*Seventeen-year-old Filipino showjumping athlete Sophia Louie Begre-Lacson delivered an outstanding performance for the Philippines at the second leg of the FEI Asia-Pacific Rising Star Academy (APRA) held in Pattaya, Thailand, from June 15 to 20, capturing first place in the morning competition and finishing fourth in the afternoon’s jump-off class.Representing the Philippines as the country’s sole rider in the prestigious regional development program, Sophia competed against some of Asia-Pacific’s most promising young equestrians in the Academy’s CSIY-B competitions, her mother Antoinette Begre-Lacson said Monday, June 22.The final competition day featured two classes: a Two-Phase CSIY-B in the morning and a CSIY-B with Jump-Off in the aft...

The  Bacolod City government  released cash incentives on Thursday morning, June 18,  to honor the 284-strong delegation of athletes, coaches, trainers, and chaperones who represented the city in the Palarong Pambansa 2026.A total of P1.782 million was allocated for 54 medalists, 48 coaches, trainers, and chaperones, and 133 non-placers from Bacolod City who represented the Negros Island Region in the national competition held in Agusan del Sur from May 24 to 31..“We know that bringing home medals was not easy. But the mere fact that you represented the region is more than enough, and for that, we are proud of what you have accomplished,” Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said.The cash rewards serve as a tribute to the team's hard work and sacrifices, which brought pri...

Rogelio Agupasa holds up his bleach art.*Contributed photoA charcoal artist from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, has found an unusual way to honor the late basketball standout Rene Baterbonia using bleach instead of paint.Rogelio Agupasa, 39, of Brgy. Tiglawigan, Cadiz City, transformed a plain black shirt into a portrait of Baterbonia using household bleach, creating an image that has since drawn admiration online and inquiries from people hoping to buy the artwork.Agupasa, who has been practicing art since elementary school and has worked as an artist for more than three decades, said the piece took about four hours to complete on June 11.Instead of charcoal, pencils, or paint, Agupasa used bleach to gradually bring out the image on the fabric.He first created a grid a...