Negros Occidental will banner 29 squads for the Western Visayas delegation in the 2006 Palarong Pambansa from May 7 to 13 at the Metro Naga Sports Complex in Naga City, Bicol.

The Negros will have 13 teams representing Region VI in the elementary division, while 16 squads from Negros will don the colors of Western Visayas in the secondary competitions.

A number of athletes from Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Guimaras and Antique have been tapped to strengthen the Negros squads' bid in the national meet, Nanette Roa of the Department of Education said.

Region VI placed first runner-up overall in the national Palaro in Iloilo last year.

The elementary Negros teams that will compete for Region VI in the national Palaro are athletics boys and girls, children's baseball, badminton boys and girls, chess boys and girls, boys' gymnastics, boys' swimming, boys' table tennis, volleyball boys and girls, and little league softball.

Boys' archery, boxing, girls' chess, gymnastics boys and girls, lawn tennis boys and girls, swimming boys and girls, table tennis boys and girls, taekwondo boys and girls, volleyball boys and girls, and girls' softball are the disciplines that will be represented by the Negrenses in the secondary hostilities.

The Negrense players are currently being billeted at the Education and Training Center School I and practicing at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan.

The athletes in the jumping events like high jump, pole vault and long jump are training at the Paglaum Sports Complex, Roa said, adding that the Negros contingent will leave for Naga City on May 3.

Meanwhile, two members of the Neg. Occ. high school boys' basketball team in the regional meet have been tapped to play for the Palarong Pambansa-bound Western Visayas quintet.

West Negros College's John Michael Noble and Ian Gabriel Villanueva of University of St. La Salle will join the Region VI squad, bannered by cagers from Iloilo Commercial Central High School.

Noble, a 6'2" center, is expected to add muscle to the Western Visayas frontline, while Villanueva is expected to the offensive firepower of the Region VI stalwarts.

The two players led Negros to second place in the regional Palaro last month in Roxas City, Capiz, where it lost to Iloilo. Also joining the team in the national school-based meet is Escalante City-born Jomel Chien.

In a related development, WNC booter Jan Alwin Espinosa has also been selected to the Region VI secondary boys' squad that will see action in the national Palaro.

Espinosa will play left wing with the squad that is made up mostly of players from Barotac Nuevo and Sta. Barbara-Iloilo. Espinosa is currently training with the team in Barotac Nuevo.

The Negrense booters settled for first runner-up honors in the regional meet after suffering a setback against Iloilo in the finals.

Negros brought home the overall championships in the elementary and secondary competitions of the regional meet last month. *CIT/CPT

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