LAPU-LAPU City – Paul Barcelona waxed hot for Western Visayas as they claimed a bronze medal in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa secondary boys 3×3 basketball at the Hoops Dome in Cebu Province here.
The Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts standout tallied 20 points as the WV 3×3 cagers secured a podium finish after a 21-17 win over National Capital Region in the bronze medal game.
“I am really determined to win this game,” Barcelona said. “I just want to give my best because I don’t want to have any regrets, and luckily we were able to win the bronze medal.”
Aside from Barcelona, also part of the Region 6’s 3×3 basketball squad are Tobby Orbista, Seth Guarino, and Jameer Gapusan, all members of the Thunderbolts basketball squad.
The Renato Callora-mentored WV 3×3 team swept their three elimination round matches against NCR (19-9), CAVRAA (21-16) and Bangsamoro (via default) to reach the semifinals round.
Barcelona and his squad, however, fell short against Central Luzon in the semifinals round on early Monday, 21-17, before bouncing back against NCR in the bronze medal match.
Meanwhile, swimmer Alexi Kouzenye Cabayaran of Bacolod Trinity Christian School secured her fourth gold of the competition in the secondary girls 4×100 relay with Leanne Caspillo, Anika Matiling, and Julia Orada.
Before this, Cabayaran won gold medals in the secondary girls 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke, and 4×500 freestyle relay events before settling for a silver medal finish in 50-meter freestyle event.
Reaiah Patricia Tan of Bacolod Tay Tung High School won a gold in elementary girls gymnastics (Wag) single bar, while John Gian G Retoya clinched a gold in secondary boys wushu event.
Joshua Emmanuel Deita of Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod won a taekwondo gold in secondary boys category 6, while Dondy Santillan Jr. of Living Stones International School ruled the elementary boys category 1 event./PN
