By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Two athletes from Negros Occidental’s Cadiz City completed a gold-silver medal finish in the secondary boys badminton event of 2025 Palarong Pambansa held in Ilocos Norte’s Laoag City.

Lovic Caceres Javier, 17 years old, a Grade 12 student from Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School, captured the gold medal, defeating Cris Ivan Dosano of North Negros College.

Both Javier and Dosano completed a historic sweep for Cadiz and Western Visayas.

The two Cadiz shuttlers, both longtime players under the Jaguar Badminton Academy, delivered a championship match that not only showcased their athleticism, but underscored the strength of grassroots sports development in Cadiz.

Their finals duel made history as a rare gold-silver finish between athletes from the same city, same region and the same sports academy — a powerful statement on the caliber of Cadiz local talents.

Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante said the feat of both local shutters in the national arena proved that, indeed, Cadiz is becoming a “badminton haven” in Negros Occidental.

“This is one thing we can be proud of. Seeing them compete in the finals was an assurance that, no matter what happens, still the gold and silver were already reserved for Cadiz … for Western Visayas,” Escalante said.

“Quite an extraordinary sight to behold — Cadiz versus Cadiz in the finals for badminton-secondary boys,” he added.

Assured by Escalante, both medalists will receive trophies and cash incentives from the city government in recognition of their astonishing achievements.

On the other hand, Lovic has already been recruited by the De La Salle University in Manila as its incoming sports scholar./ASC, WDJ