The sport of archery has been gaining popularity in the Province of Negros Occidental, as proven by the accomplishments of several Negrense archers from Trinity Christian School who exemplified the spirit of sportsmanship and excellence at the 2023 ASEAN Youth Archery Championship Open held in Cebu City from August 16 to 19.
The young archers, representing the United Negrense Archery Club, achieved notable wins at the competition. Isabella Unna Ejercito and Kent Harold Nacion took home the bronze medal in the U15 Mixed Team (50m) category.
In the U15 Men Team Match (50m), the team of Yñigo Española, Antoine Gabriel Maleza, Kent Harold Nacion, and Juan Miguel Olpindalanded fourthplace. In the individual categories, Isabella Unna Ejercito also earned fourth place in the U15 Women Individual (50m). On the other hand, Antoine Gabriel Maleza finished in the quarterfinals of the U15 Men Individual (50m).
A total of 200 aspiring archers from Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, India, UAE, and the Philippines participated in the 2023 ASEAN Youth Archery Championship Open.
Apart from their recent ASEAN Youth Archery achievements, the team also had several remarkable successes. They were the overall champion for Secondary Archery Girls for both the 2023 Provincial and Regional Meets.
The United Negrense Archery Club archers were also the overall champion for Secondary Boys in the 2023 Provincial Meet and the first runner-up in the Regional Meet (WVRAA). In national competitions by the World Archery Philippines, the team had been winning medals in the age-group tournaments since last year and they also dominated local invitational competitions such as the 2022 MassKara Archery Cup, where they took home three gold and two bronze medals in four age-group categories.
Spearheaded by coach Blaire Ejercito, the team has been focusing on the grassroots initiatives, which is in line with the Abanse Negrense Sports Programs of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Through these exposures in various local, national, and international competitions, Coach Blaire believes these aspiring archers can further enrich their skills, determination, and experiences in the sport of archery.*
