Four Negrenses to compete for the Philippines

By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr.

Four athletes from across Negros Occidental are part of the 272-member Philippine delegation set to compete at the 2018 Asian Games, scheduled to run from August 18 to September 2 and co-hosted by Indonesian cities Jakarta and Palembang.

Riflayca Basa of Hinobaan and Kaith Ezra Jalandoni of Talisay City are part of the women’s softball team, while Ian Clark Bautista of Himamaylan City and James Palicte of Bago City will be competing in boxing.

The Philippines will also be competing in basketball, swimming, archery, athletics, bowling, bridge, canoe kayak/traditional boat racing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, judo, jetski, karate, sailing/windsurfing, sepak takraw, shooting, sports climbing, skateboarding, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, soft tennis, triathlon, women’s volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, jujitsu, pencak silat, wushu, and kurash.

At the last Asian Games, in Incheon, South Korea in 2014, the Philippines won a total 15 medals and finished 22nd out of 36 countries./JSG, WDJ