• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental trailed Iloilo, as the latter was declared the overall champion in the recently concluded Western Visayas Regional Athletics Association (WVRAA) Meet 2024 held in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, from May 2 to 7.
Iloilo bagged a total of 218 gold, 159 silver, and 111 bronze medals for elementary, secondary regular events, para games, and demo sports, based on the official results released by the Department of Education – Western Visayas.
Negros Occidental, on the other hand, captured 170 gold, 167 silver, and 149 bronze medals, earning the 1st runner up slot, followed by 2nd runner up Aklan with 52 golds, 64 silver, and 117 bronze medals.
Iloilo ruled in the elementary and secondary regular events, as well as in para games and demo sports, according to final and official medal tally results of WVRAA 2024 issued by DepEd 6.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday said that Negros Occidental needs to have more time to prepare for the next WVRAA Meet, if it aims to become champion again.
Lacson noted that Iloilo had 45 days of training, as they held their Provincial Meet as early as February.
“So we were not as ready as Iloilo was. It’s a lesson learned that we schedule our Provincial Meet early,” the governor said.
“I think it’s really the amount of time they gave to prepare for the regional meet, that spelled the difference between Iloilo and Negros. We should learn from that,” he pointed out.
Lacson congratulated the performance of Negrense athletes, especially those who won gold and qualified for the Palarong Pambansa.
Lacson said they are also studying the giving of incentives to athletes who won gold medals in the recent WVRAA, which Negros Occidental successfully hosted, citing positive feedbacks the got.*
