The members of the Negros badminton team that won the gold in elementary girls’ and secondary boys and girls’ badminton during the 2012 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Meet said they will do their best in representing the region in the May 6-12 Palarong Pambansa in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

Coach Jordan Sun of the Jaguar Badminton Academy and mentor of the Negros team, said this year’s WVRAA was “very memorable for us since we were able to live up to what is being expected of us.”

With most of the members of the champion team coming from Cadiz City and Trinity Christian School, Sun said they were able to successfully defend the title they won last year in Iloilo.

“We wish to thank the Philippine Badminton Association secretary general Congressman Albee Benitez for the encouragement,” Sun said, adding that Benitez has been helping the Jaguar Badminton Academy in campaigning for the badminton grassroots program.

Meanwhile, the Negros elementary boys’ basketball team, with the core coming from the University of St. La Salle, is also getting ready to represent Western Visayas in the Lingayen Palaro.

The young Negrense dribblers won the gold in the regional meet by beating perennial rival Iloilo, 63-54, in the championship game.

During the regional games, the Negros team earned a twice-to-beat advantage after hurdling its first two assignments against Antique and Iloilo.

The championship match proved to be a hard climb for the Negros team as they were down in all quarters until they cut the margin to just four points with only two minutes left.

Tyrel Nifras of USLS-IS further narrowed the gap with his heroics n the final minute, including a three-point shot.

Iloilo had the chance for a winner-take-all match but Kaiser Tuhao, also from La Salle, made an interception and converted a shot to force an overtime.

With crucial baskets from Sam Josef Belangel, Tuhao and Nifras, Negros prevailed as they turned back the hard fighting Iloilo team that was composed of players mostly from Ateneo de Iloilo.

The members of the champion Negros team who will be leaving in May for Pangasinan are: Belangel, Tuhao, Nifras, Andrew Velasco, Andre Dadivas, Mars Arceo, Rafa Tolosa, and Lawrence Cabalfin from USLS-IS; Kyle Chua and Francis De Asis from St. John’s Institute; Jessie Bayles from Trinity Christian School, and Creos Jalandra from Silay South Elementary School.*NAB

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