Negros Occidental athletes may back out from the National Private Schools and Athletics Association Games in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, if the event pushes through as scheduled on Feb. 5 to 11, WV PRISAA athletic manager Roger Banzuela said yesterday.

This is because the competitions, if held in February, will fall on the time that they will also be having their examinations in their respective schools next month, Banzuela said.

"The athletes, especially the ones who are graduating, will prioritize their education and there is nothing we can do about that," Banzuela, who is also the chairman of the Western Visayas PRISAA technical committee, said.

Negros is set to represent nine out of the 19 teams that will banner Region VI's campaign in the national event.

The Negrenses, who snared the overall championship of the Western Visayas PRISAA Games in Bacolod City last month, will field their squads in the men's category of chess, basketball, lawn tennis and sepak takraw, women's play of swimming, taekwondo and volleyball, and the men and women's division of table tennis.

In case the Negrenses withdraw, the teams that placed second in the nine events will be the replacements, Banzuela said.

He said Negros is ready to help Region VI in its bid to retain its National PRISAA Games overall championship if the hostilities are moved to April, the usual schedule of the national event.

The National PRISAA board will conduct a meeting tomorrow in Dagupan to finalize the schedule of the competitions, he said, adding that Fr. Emilio Jaruda, president of the Western Visayas PRISAA, has been invited to the meeting.

Banzuela said that it will also be difficult for the organizers to provide accommodation, which will most likely be in schools, if the national meet are staged next month as classes will still be going on.

Also composing the Region VI delegation are standouts from Capiz, Antique, Aklan and Iloilo.*CIT

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