ROXAS City – The Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet 2019 formally opened yesterday afternoon at the Villareal Stadium in this capital city.
The regional sports meet has an P11-million budget, according to Carmen Andrade, sports and business consultant of Capiz provincial government.
The week-long tournament themed “Hampang Nga May Paghiliiugyon Ipasanyog sa Aton Banwa” began with a parade of athletes from the public plaza to the Villareal Stadium where most of the sports events will be held.
Meanwhile, some 600 personnel from the Capiz Police Provincial Office were deployed to secure the sports activities.
Augmentation forces from the Police Regional Office 6 were also mobilized.
Department of Education assistant secretary Revsee Escobedo and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez were among the guests of honors during the opening.
Athletes from Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras will be vying for slots to represent Region VI in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa in Davao City slated on April 27 to May 4.
There are 15 sporting events for the elementary division and 22 events are for the secondary division. Four sporting events are also set for the paraathletes.
There will also be three demonstration sports – dance sports, aerogymnastics and pencak silat.
Villareal Stadium will serve as host for athletics, secondary boys basketball, football, dancesports, swimming and tennis, while volleyball events will be at CPC Engineering Department on Arnaldo Boulevard.
Secondary girls basketball and gymnastics will be at DYDRMS Auditorium in Dayao, while Archery, softball and baseball are in Pueblo de Panay.
Arnis, meanwhile, will be at Barangay Lanot covered court.
Taekwondo and pencak silat will be at Robinson’s Place Roxas activity area; goal ball and futsal at Capiz State University; 3-on-3 basketball at Hercor College; billiards at City Mall; and boxing at Gaisano Mall.
Other sporting events are chess (Hall of Governors), secondary girls sepak takraw (Inzo Covered Court), juniors sepak takraw (Banica E/S covered court), table tennis (St. Mary’s Academy of Capiz), wushu and wrestling (DPWH covered court), and bocce (Inzo Arnaldo Integrated School). (With a report from Merlinda Bagnate/PN)
