Sports

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 “B...

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 20 cha...

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 photoE. 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 "Highla...

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 photoThe 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 Junior...

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 the ...

The launching of the PONY Baseball and Softball Visayas Region Chapter led by Mayor Nicholas Yulo, PONY International Asia Pacific head Takeharu Nasu, and PONY Philippines president Rodolfo Tingzon Jr. at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center in Bago City on Monday*Bago Citybridge photoBago City in Negros Occidental will send two teams to the PONY (Protect Our Nation's Youth) International Girls Softball World Series in McAllen, Texas, United States, on July 19-23.The 16 Under and 12 Under squads of Bago City will be the first from the Visayas to represent the Philippines in the tournament.On Monday afternoon, June 5, the teams were introduced during the launching of the PONY Baseball and Softball Visayas Region Chapter led by Mayor Nicholas Yulo, PONY Inte...

Alexandra “Alex” Eala at the at US Open Tennis Championships in 2022.*Alex Eala FB page photoVictoriahanon 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 Cro...

Herlan Sixto Gomez being declared the winner in Bangkok, Thailand.*Herlan Sixto Gomez, a 23-year-old boxer from Barangay Madalag, E. B. Magalona in Negros Occidental successfully defended his Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) bantamweight title in the recently concluded Knockout Blows in Bangkok, Thailand.Gomez defeated Jakpan Sangtong of Thailand via KO/TKO in round two of their main card game at RCA Plaza in Spaceplus Bangkok on May 25, a press release from EB Magalona said Tuesday, May 30.In a video message, Gomez relayed the news to his fellow Saraviahanons, and thanked Mayor Marvin Malacon for the financial support for his fight in Thailand.His father, Herman Gomez Sr., also wrote to Malacon: “With heartfelt gratitude, thank you very much Mayor for your full support to our...

“If you ask me if I’m happy, I’m not, we got beaten.”That was the reaction of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Tuesday, May 2, to Negros Occidental’s failure to win the championship in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet in Aklan that ended Sunday.In the last regional meet Negros Occidental was the champion in the elementary level and Iloilo won in the secondary level, Lacson said.“I don’t have to sugarcoat …we were beaten, we will have to accept that and I hope that will pose a challenge to us for 2024”, he said.“I hope that is the challenge to all of us, all people concerned, that for 2024 we really have to do better, really have to catch up with Iloilo,” Lacson said.Lacson, at the same time, thanked and congratulated “all our athletes who repres...