ROXAS CITY --- A walkover win to spark a deluge of victories.

Negros Occidental bagged the elementary girls' softball crown even before the first pitch was thrown as action in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet goes full blast today with 30 golds up for grabs at the Villareal Stadium here.

The batters from Education and Training Center School in Bacolod City gave Negros' bid to dislodge Iloilo in the elementary division an early boost, winning the softball crown after other provinces failed to field entries in the event. The title, worth 25 points in the novel championship point system, gives the Negrenses the headstart in the duel between the two regional rivals in the six-day meet, featuring Western Visayas' top school-based athletes.

Felipe Dumancas, Negros Occidental schools sports coordinator, expressed optimism of a Negros overall victory in both the elementary and secondary divisions, after the ETCS girls' walkover victory.

"Negros has a good start with ETCS' victory. We are capable of winning athletics and swimming and we have formidable teams in ballgames," he told the DAILY STAR.

Focus will be on the Villareal tracks and swimming pool where a combined 30 golds will be disputed today. With the championship point system applied for the first time in years, however, gold medals in athletics or swimming do not carry as much weight as a team title in ballgames.

The team title in elementary boys and girls and secondary boys and girls swimming and athletics are both worth 30 points each, while the titles in ballgames like volleyball, football, basketball and baseball are equivalent to 25 points. Minor events like badminton, tennis, archery, boxing, table tennis and sepak takraw offer 15 points for the champion.

'SUB-STANDARD OVAL'

Athletics offers 10 golds today when the finals in all levels of high jump and shotput as well as the secondary girls' 3,000-m and the secondary boys' 5,000-m races are held.

But Dumancas decried the condition of the track oval, calling it "sub-standard".

"It (tracks) is too soft. The sand is very thick, its like you are running on a beach. This will be very disadvantageous for Negros athletes since they are not used to this surface," said Dumancas, who also complained over the lack of water supply at the Roxas National High School, where Negrense athletes are billeted.

Capiz Gov. Vicente Bermejo, in his welcome address, apologized to participating delegations for the condition of the oval. He said there was already a budget to apply the rubber surface on the tracks but inclement weather brought by the La Niña phenomenon, prevented them from pushing through with the project.

"We will make up for it with our hospitality," Bermejo told the athletes during the opening ceremonies that drew a crowd of 8,000.

Also set are the MAG and WAG competitions of Gymnastics at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center. The afternoon sessions will feature the floor exercise, balance beam and vault events. At stake at the Villareal pool today are the golds in the secondary 400-m free, elementary 200-m free, secondary 200-m breast, elementary 100-m breast, secondary 100-m back, elementary 50-m back, secondary 100-m fly, elementary 50-m fly and the secondary and elementary 4x100-m medley relay races.

Tia Lacson of St. Scholastica's Academy and Carmela Nava of St. Joseph's School-La Salle banner the Negros campaign in secondary girls' swimming with St. La Salle's Miguel Villanueva and Raffy Hechanova of Bago City powering the boys' team.

USLS' Kiefer Piccio and Brylle Anjo Mabus spearhead the elementary boys' team, while Hillary Tan will be at the forefront of the girls' squad.

In secondary football, Negros opens its title quest against host Capiz at 2 p.m. at a makeshift field inside the Villareal Sports Complex. The elementary booters also face their Capiz counterparts at 3:15 p.m.

Bannered by West Negros College standouts, Negros takes on Capiz at 9:30 today at the Capiz Gymnasium at the start of basketball games.

Bacolod Tay Tung High School's Jona Chan and Remwel Dumaraob of Bago City will represent Negros in the girls and boys' shotput respectively, while Jomer Ucdiman and Ana Joy Nugor are entered in elementary high jump.

Negros' entries are also the top gold medal prospects in secondary shotput with Josie Entrina entered in the girls' category and reigning Palarong Pambansa champion Rey Dennis Bacay hoping to prove his superiority against his Iloilo counterparts.

'YOU ARE ALL CHAMPIONS'

During the opening rites, Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas lauded the participating athletes from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros, calling them "champions in their own right".

"Getting to this level is already a big thing, even if you win or not," he told the student-athletes as he stressed the values of discipline and fortitude.

Citing the WVRAA Meet theme of "Strengthening the Values of Unity Through Sports", Roxas He urged athletes to promote camaraderie among themselves.

Guimaras was adjudged the most disciplined contingent during the opening rites, while Antique won the best uniform award.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco, who represented Gov. Joseph Marañon here, reiterated the provincial government's all-out support to the Negros bets.

Also present at the opening rites were Negros board members Manuel Frederick Ko, Francis Tuvilla, Edgardo Acuña and Emilio Yulo III. *CPT

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