Sports: Shocking News?

I was shock not because I want to negate some reports that Bacolod Little League issued statement that the charter will not be joining this year’s Philippine Series set April 8-15 in Clark in Pampanga. I was shock because I don’t know what team the so-called BLL would send to the said tournament when the teams of Domingo Lacson National High School are not recognizing the BLL. In fairness to Sir Sammy Montoyo who heads the BLL, he should ask first these teams if they are willing to participate or not.

What I understand when some group interviewed him that he is saying this because the BLL charter has yet a budget for said participation. I do not know, but ever since Bacolod City is none committal when our softball teams here, many times Palarong Pambansa champions were participating in the local tournaments much so with the international participation of the teams. It is because no budget was allotted for them and it is understandable for Sir Sammy Montoyo to say that BLL team will not participate.

What makes things worse, that someone again contacted the Little League of the Philippines assistant administrator Chito Gonzales, in what authority he has to say that there will be no teams from Negros Occidental or Bacolod city to participate in the Philippine series. And it seems Chito Gonzales believes him without making any counter-checking if the information is true.

My information, however, disclosed that Domingo Lacson National High School, Senior and junior teams are going to participate; including the team from Education Training Center School (ETCS), if I am to believe on what Romeo "Pato" Palma is saying. Pato told me they are scouring for money intended for the teams’ participation with the help of Governor Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. This makes Palma furious as they have been preparing, trained for a year and only to know that someone has put them into an awkward situation.

Palma has been deprived to join the team in the World Series as team manager last year. This is because of the manipulation of Chito Gonzales and the rest of Little League officials who intentionally erased the name of Palma in the lineup. That created bitterness for him but somehow, he did not react. Adding insult to the injury, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Jolly Gomez, who is the Little League of the Philippines administrator reportedly called up Palma allegedly to be interviewed at the US Embassy but was subsequently when he was told to accompany the team only as a parent. The same thing reportedly happens to Sir Esteban Albacea, principal of DLNHS, who was told to report to US Embassy for interview as head of the delegation.

Palma said, even that was what happen last year, they are set to participate in the Philippine Series only to be told they are not participating.

There is an existing charter, the Bacolod-Negros Little League but this was reportedly not recognized by Chito Gonzales during the Asia-Pacific Softball Championship which was held here last year. This is the reason Bacolod Little League existed, where it will not send teams to the Philippine series this year in Clark, Pampanga due to budget problem.

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The recent Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet here was a success. We congratulate the local organizer, the Provincial Department of Education headed by Division School Superintendent Rizalino Tortosa and provincial sports head Romeo Sison. Also with Sir, Mario Amaca, the Negros Occidental High School principal (not suspect) who is very accommodating to guests and visitors, including technical officials who opted to stay in his haven for a very welcome accommodating, even if they are schedule to stay in another school. However, all of these things will not be a success without the utmost support of Governor Alfredo Galicia Marañon, Jr., who make sure everything is in proper perspective for he is gauging this regional meet for a more challenging hosting of the 2013 Palarong Pambansa.

All attention was focus to softball competition between Iloilo and Negros among six provinces in Western Visayas. It is because two former Negros coaches were already handles the Iloilo teams. Early in the tournament, even Department of Education officials were saying unfavorable comments regarding the two. It is untimely for them to leave Negros teams after they retire and immediately handles the other teams. It is good both teams belongs to the same region, they say, but even then, they should have wait for some years to turn to other teams. Instead of gaining respect from them, the players were challenge and when they were interviewed they only say a word "never". That mean for them they will not relinquish easily the regional title in just a few months their opponents were under their former mentors in about six months. They were challenged to the report that says that according to several observant, this is the first time that the elementary teams from Iloilo came out strong to challenge the defending champions Negros squads.

The results were clear; the secondary girls won the title via a sweep, while the elementary girls’ lose the elimination and had to beat twice their counterpart from Iloilo which they did.*