“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 represented Negros Occidental (at the WVRAA meet), they did their best”.
There were certain sports that Negros Occidental dominated, Lacson said, citing swimming and ladies volleyball.
He, however, was disappointed with the chess results despite several tournaments sponsored by the provincial government.
Lacson said he wants the Negros Occidental sports program to develop young athletes.
Provincial Sports Coordinator Anthony Agustin has been instructed to hold regular athletic events to enhance the training of young athletes, he added.
The governor also reiterated that he does not like giving cash incentives to young athletes who won medals.
The incentives should come from within as representatives of their school, parents and province, he said.*