CEBU City – Hua Siong College of Iloilo Red Phoenix secondary boys basketball team is set to represent Western Visayas in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa competition slated next month in Marikina City.
The Vincent Conlu-mentored Western Visayas squad earned the qualification after finishing second in the Cluster 3 Pre-Palarong Pambansa Qualification Meet secondary boys basketball event held over the weekend here.
The Western Visayas representatives ended the three-day event with a 2-1 win-loss slate following victories over Regions 9 and 10 and suffered their lone loss to Region 7, 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 the Palarong Pambansa, which was postponed for several years due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“We fell short but we still achieved our goal,” Conlu said. “We are glad since Hua Siong will once again represent Western Visayas in Palarong Pambansa and we promise to represent our province well.”
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.
Meanwhile, Western Visayas elementary boys basketball team, composed of players from Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts, also earned the right to play in Marikina after sweeping their three matches.
Leading the way for the Ryan Nabor-mentored Western Visayas 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./PN
