By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts elementary boys basketball team is set to represent Western Visayas (WV) in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa competition slated next month in Marikina City.
The WV squad earned the qualification after sweeping all of their three matches in Cluster 3 Pre-Palarong Pambansa Qualification Meet secondary boys basketball event held in Cebu City over the weekend.
Leading the way for the Ryan Nabor-mentored elementary boys basketball team were James Carlo Ramos, Nilus Robert Calma, Gian Kyle Tan, and Ashton Jared Buñol.
Also part of the roster were Francis Luis Alcoran, Ronald Delada, Joseph Magbanua, Zachary Cuansing, Chase Liam Verba, Kevin Joseph Babor, Tristan Randall, and Acster Ken Panisales.
Meanwhile, Hua Siong College of Iloilo Red Phoenix secondary boys basketball team also earned the right to represent the region in the Palaro after placing second in the Cluster 3 meet.
The Vincent Conlu-mentored WV squad ended the three-day event with a 2-1 win-loss slate following victories over Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) and 10 (Northern Mindanao) and suffered their lone loss to Region 7 (Central Visayas), represented by Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu.
Despite falling short of their target to finish on top of the cluster meet, Conlu remains content as his team will once again compete in Palarong Pambansa, which was postponed for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We fell short but we still achieved our goal,” Conlu said.
“We are glad [that] Hua Siong will once again represent Western Visayas in Palarong Pambansa and we promise to represent our province well,” he added.
Among the players of the Hua Siong-WV secondary boys basketball team were Thomas Pillado and Karl Nonoy, who were all receiving offers to play from Manila-based high school squads.
Also part of the team are Ricky Murillo, Matt Laurence Acosta, Ken Murillo, Wesley Lana, Adonieram Roy Malaga, Amiel Dominic Dema-ala, Jid Locsin, Rymanuel Montinola, Jann Francis Yu Barcellano, and Yuan Reyes./ASC, WDJ