One of many highlights through the opening ceremony of the 2025 PRISAA Nationwide Video games.| Photograph from the College of Cagayan Valley
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Central Visayas, the reigning general champions of the Non-public Colleges Athletic Affiliation (PRISAA), kicked off their title-retention marketing campaign on the 2025 PRISAA Nationwide Video games in Tuguegarao Metropolis.
PRISAA Area 7 secretariat Bernard Ricablanca stays optimistic, but cautious in regards to the probabilities of Central Visayas in defending its title.
The separation of the Negros Island cities, together with Dumaguete and its neighboring areas, which have now shaped the Negros Island Area (NIR), presents a brand new problem.
READ: Cebu, Bohol tracksters haul a number of golds in PRISAA-7 video games
In an interview with CDN Digital, Ricablanca acknowledged that different areas have strengthened their athletes roster, making this 12 months’s competitors much more intense.
“Different areas have gotten stronger since final 12 months. Area IV-A, Area 6, and NIR have all develop into extra aggressive. We’ll miss Dumaguete, and Zamboanga received’t be a simple opponent both,” Ricablanca mentioned.
READ: Cesafi champs, contenders earn spots in PRISAA Nationwide Video games
Nevertheless, he stays hopeful that Central Visayas, primarily made up of champion groups and athletes from the Cebu Colleges Athletic Basis, Inc. (CESAFI), will carry out effectively within the week-long nationwide meet. The delegation additionally contains Boholano athletes who certified ultimately month’s PRISAA regional meet in Cebu Metropolis.
2024 MEDAL STANDINGS
Final 12 months, Central Visayas dominated the medal standings, amassing 119 gold, 73 silver, and 65 bronze medals. Area 6 (Western Visayas) positioned second with a tally of 79 golds, 38 silvers, and 55 bronzes, adopted by the Cordillera Administrative Area (CAR) in third place with 54 golds, 46 silvers, and 54 bronzes.
Regardless of the spectacular gold medal haul in 2024, Ricablanca identified that this 12 months’s delegation, which consists of about 500 athletes and coaches, will characteristic fewer highschool opponents.
“We don’t have as many highschool entries this 12 months, however we’ve introduced robust school athletes. The competitors is hard, however our athletes are ready,” Ricablanca mentioned.
He expressed confidence that the constant publicity to high-level competitions like Cesafi, CVIRAA, and the PRISAA regional meet will give Central Visayas a aggressive edge.
“A lot of our athletes come from Cesafi, then they transfer on to regionals, so the publicity by no means stops,” he added.
Ricablanca is especially eager for robust performances from the desk tennis staff, weightlifting, taekwondo, karate, and dancesports, that are anticipated to contribute very important gold medals.
SHIFT IN STANDINGS
Whereas Ricablanca is optimistic about Central Visayas’ possibilities, he acknowledged the potential of a shift within the standings.
“If we don’t clinch the championship, we hope to complete within the high three. We’re ready, however we’re not taking something as a right. We simply want to remain centered and proceed performing effectively,” he mentioned.
The primary gold medal for Central Visayas got here early, courtesy of final 12 months’s a number of gold medalist, Mark Mahinay of the College of Cebu Site owners. Mahinay triumphed within the males’s 5,000-meter run within the morning of April 7 on the Cagayan Sports activities Coliseum in Tuguegarao Metropolis.
Mahinay, additionally representing the Spectrum Runners, accomplished the race in quarter-hour and 26.3 seconds, ending forward of Ken Jay Moreto of Common Santos Metropolis (15:44.03) and Mark Rennel Hubag of South Cotabato (15:44.08).
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