Sports

NOFA’s newly-elected officers*  The newly-elected president of Negros Occidental Football Association promised to implement sustainable grassroots development initiatives for football coaches in the province during the NOFA elections at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Saturday, April 6. Jose Miguel Valmayor of the San Carlos City Football Club was unanimously elected as the new NOFA president, while Rene Dofitas of Bacolod United FC is the new vice president and Augustine Rey Rivas of Kabankalan FC is the general secretary. Valmayor said that he plans to unify the football leagues in the province and will focus on reorganization of the association. He also plans to institute and implement sustainable grassroots development initiatives and licensing programs for ...

The Division of Bacolod City was the overall champion of the 2024 Provincial Athletic Meet that ended on Saturday, April 6. A medal tally showed Bacolod with 159 gold, 113 silver and 83 broze medals for a total of 355 medals. The Division of Negros Occidental came in second with 86 golds, 68 silvers and 72 bronzes for a total of 226 medals. The following is the medal tally posted by the Abanse Negrense Productions 11 p.m. Saturday:

Robert Bolick delivers a game-tying 5-point play in crucial seconds for Team Barroca ending a draw against Team Aguilar, 140-140 for the 2024 PBA All-Star Game at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City, Sunday, March 24.  They were down by 5 points in 17.8 seconds but Cliff Hodge managed to steal the ball from an inbound pass and gets it to Bolick who was fouled after draining a 4-point shot.  The NLEX guard scored the free throw to tie the game.  Bolick also shared the MVP trophy with team captain Japhet Aguilar for this year’s all star game.  It was a terrific comeback for the team led by Mark Barroca after they were down by 26 point at the end of the 1st Quarter with Team Aguilar leading 46-20.  Shooters Marcio Lassiter and R...

Defense Assistant Secretary Henry Robinson Jr. (right) and military officials meet with executives of Bacolod City during a courtesy call at the Government Center on Thursday.*  Bacolod  City  will host some 1,000 student-athletes for the 2024 Philippine Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games (PROG) Visayas qualifying leg on May 26 to June 1.  Department of National Defense Assistant Secretary Henry Robinson Jr. visited Bacolod on  Thursday to discuss initial preparations with Office of Youth and Sports Development coordinator Adrian Melocoton and other local government executives.  Maj. Rene Piabol Jr. of the Philippine Air Force, Commander Ronald Lim of the Philippine Navy, and Maj. Nell Ven Maybanting of the Philippine Army accompanied Robi...

The Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet will be held in Negros Occidental May 2 to 7.  Negros Occidental was chosen to host the regional meet, Hernani Escullar, Department of Education Region 6 spokesperson, said Friday, March 15.  It will be hosted by the  Negros Occidental Schools Division with the Bacolod Schools Division as co-host, Escullar said.  The venues for the games will be the Panaad Park and Stadium and Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City.  They are discussing not holding outdoor games from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to spare the athletes from being exposed to extreme heat. However, the guidelines are still being finalized, Escullar said.* 

Get ready to meet your favourite ballers as the City of Smiles hosts the PBA All Star Games 2024 at the University of  Saint La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City, March 23 to 24.  They are expecting over 60 players from four teams who will start coming in on March 21 and will have several events for fans to meet their idols, a press release from the  Bacolod Yuhum Foundation said Friday, March 8.  On March 23, Team Greats vs. Team Stalwarts will see action with a Skills Challenge starting at 3 p.m., while the actual game between the two teams will start at 6:15  p.m. The skills challenge will be a 3-points shootout among the players.  Team Japhet vs. Team Barroca will have a face off on March 24 starting at 5 p.m. with Shooting Stars, followed by the Dance Sh...

Basketball fans in Bacolod will have an opportunity to cheer and meet their idols as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will bring in the Meralco Bolts and Rain or Shine as part of the highlights of the MassKara Festival 2023 at the University of St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City on October 19. The match, entitled PBA Pasiklaban sa Supercity, is expected to be exciting as both teams have seen close matches in the past, among which was the final games in the PBA Governors’ Cup where Meralco won against Rain or Shine but was defeated by the latter in late last year’s match in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, a press release from the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation said. Following the recent win of Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian Games, basketball enthusiasts in the City of Smiles ar...

Billiards champ,Efren “Bata” Reyes will be at this year’s 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez 10-ball Billiards Tournament as a guest.* This year’s MassKaralympics will feature ten sporting events that will bring national and international players to face off with local sports groups. It will kick-off Thursday, October 5, with the 4-day 1st MassKara Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Bacolod Baywalk and is expected to bring in over a thousand enthusiasts and spectators. Nine other sports events will be on their second year, including the much awaited 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez 10-ball Billiards Tournament that will open on October 8 at the Main Atrium of SM City Bacolod, a press release from the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation said Wednesday. This will be graced by renowned billiards champs Efren “...

The first-ever Ultimate Obstacle Course Race challenge in Negros Occidental, Sidlak Victorias Obstacle Race, gathered more than 450 racers from various municipalities and cities on Saturday, September 30. Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez welcomed the participants and guests coming from Manila, Cebu, Capiz, Iloilo, and other neighboring provinces, cities, and municipalities. He also shared that the activity came as a result of the LGU's commitment to providing more inclusive sports activities for Victoriahanons and to elevate the sports tourism of the city. OCR participants competed in 16 categories which hailed a total of 62 winners, a press release from Victorias City said. Elite and age category racers completed 24 obstacles, while the adult open category had 2...

Saraviahanon boxer Herlan Gomez with his two championship belts - WBC Asia silver bantamweight and ABF bantamweight - after winning the WBC Asia match in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday night.*Spaceplus Bangkok photo E. B. Magalona native Herlan Gomez (11-1, 8 KOs) now has two Asian boxing championship belts. This, after the 24-year-old Saraviahanon pride earned a new belt in the WBC Asia (World Boxing Council - Asian Boxing Council) silver bantamweight championship in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday night, September 28. Gomez, who is also the reigning Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) bantamweight champion, crushed the more experienced 40-fight veteran and former IBF Asia champion Komgrich Nantapech of Udon Thani, Thailand, in round one via KO (knockout) of their main featured match on "Highl...

Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo with the Bago City Junior League Softball team after winning the 2023 Junior League World Series championship held in Kirkland, Washington, USA over the weekend.*contributed photo The Bago Junior League Softball team defeated seven other regions and made history for their city by winning the 2023 Junior League World Series championship held in Kirkland, Washington, USA, on Saturday, August 5. The Philippines' team composed of the Ramon Torres National High School (RTNHS) softbelles lifted Asia Pacific Region to a 3-0 victory over Eastern Region during the finals match. Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who was also with the team during the competition, said this was a historic day for Bago City. The Bagonhon team for the first time was able to clinch the Junio...

Bacolod City-based Team Burgas A and Manila-based National University-ACR Shell spikers garnered top honors in the Men’s Category and Women’s Category, respectively, during the Volleyball Association of Negros Island (VANI) Beach Volleyball Open Tournament at the Resorts Negrense, Bacolod City, recently. Angel Canino, the Bacolodnon volleybelle sensation who played for De La Salle in Manila and bagged the rare Most Valuable Player Award and Rookie of the Year Award in Women’s Volleyball of the UAAP Season 85, attended the opening day. Twenty-two teams from the cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Cadiz, Bago, La Carlota and Sipalay and the Municipality of EB Magalona, spiced up by a teams from Guilhulngan City, Negros Occidental and Manila, blasted the sands of Resorts Negrense in...

Alexandra “Alex” Eala at the at US Open Tennis Championships in 2022.*Alex Eala FB page photo Victoriahanon tennis prodigy Alexandra “Alex” Eala bested Valentina Ryser of Switzerland and ruled the W25 Yecla Final held in Murcia, Spain, Sunday, June 4. This is her third professional International Tennis Federation (ITF) title following the W15 Manacor in January 2021 and the W25 Chiang Rai in April 2022. The 18-year-old tennis champion is also the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title. Eala has her roots in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, through her father, Mike Eala. In October last year, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez congratulated Eala for qualifying in the semi-finals of the W80 Poitiers in France and for winning against Ana Konjuh of Cr...