The Western Visayas football team scored one of the early victories in the National Private Schools Athletic Association Games yesterday when it registered a 4-2 win over Central Visayas at the Iloilo Sports Complex.

Region VI coach Norman Fegidero Jr., who is also mentor of the West Negros College side, said goals from Wesnecans Jaylor Soriano and Mark Ferrer as well as Iloilo PRISAA reinforcements Roman Paolo Suner and Michael Manahero ensured the win. The Western Visayas booters have no games today but will take the field against Region V at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, before clashing with Zamboanga.

With only four teams in the tournament, organizers have decided that the squad that sweeps the single round-robin eliminations will be declared champion.

In the event that no team can score a sweep, a title match between the top two teams will be staged, Fegidero added.

The schedules of games in the other events of the six-day competition have yet to be released as of press deadline.

Mark Jimenez, one of the coaches of the WV table tennis squads, bannered by the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, said the men's team will most likely face Region 4 in the first round.

Negros Occidental athletes are spearheading Western Visayas' bid in women's volleyball, men and women's taekwondo, women's chess and women's athletics.

About 2,500 athletes from 16 regions are seeing action in the Games, which formally opens today.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was earlier scheduled to attend the opening ceremony, has cancelled her appearance apparently because of the condition of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who underwent open heart surgery last week.

WV PRISAA athletic manager Roger Banzuela, however, said that Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez will watching the hostilities scheduled until April 21. *CPT/PP

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