You'll know that athletes have achieved something immense when their victories break into the front page, skipping their exclusive domain, the sports section. And if the number of sports stories found on page 1 in 2007 was the gauge of how our athletes fared in the international arena, its safe to say that, it was, indeed, another big year for Negrense sportsmen.

The durable Gerry Peñalosa of San Carlos City and young Donnie Nietes of Murcia and Bacolod City underscored Negros Occidental's niche as a boxing mecca when they carved out two of the most important victories in a big year for the sport that saw the country produce four world champions.

Of course, the unscathed ring record for 2007 of Bacolod 's adopted son, Manny Pacquiao cannot be overlooked for its sheer impact and the whopping amount of money and national pride involved.

The story of five Negros pugs retiring from their gold medal matches to protest unfair judging in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand was both lauded and deplored back home. There were some feel-good stories in the SEA Games, though, and, just like in the past, Negrense athletes provided some of them.

The brilliance of our professional boxers and the SEA Games campaign of Negrense athletes are the hands-down choice for DAILY STAR sports' top stories in the first part of this year-end report.

1. NEGRENSE WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONS

It was the punch that summed up all the years of frustration and despair for Gerry Peñalosa, 35.

A mind-boggling left body shot to the liver had Mexican champion Jhonny Gonzalez backtracking and later collapsing into a corner.

A career-defining snapshot followed: Peñalosa, on the verge of tears, kneeling on the mat, his hands raised.

"Oh my God. Thank you Lord!," Peñalosa exclaimed as he basked in the glory of his seven-round conquest of Gonzalez in their World Boxing Organization bantamweight (118-lbs.) title fight at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California on Aug. 12.

It took seven years for the southpaw from San Carlos City to hold another world title. He lost the WBC flyweight crown in January 2000, went on a heartache-induced two-year sabbatical following the death of his father, Carlos, then returned to the ring with aplomb, before he was once again stopped on his tracks in his daring foray in the tough 122-lbs division by Mexican rival Daniel Ponce De Leon in March.

Peñalosa, one of the most technically-gifted fighters from the country, was written off as a contender after losing to De Leon by a surprisingly huge margin.

But the Negrense's resilience that characterized the most part of his 18-year career came to the fore against Gonzalez, propelling him back to the pinnacle of the sport.

"Every fight is for my family, my city and my country," Peñalosa later said in his homecoming in San Carlos, two weeks after his world title triumph.

The euphoria of Peñalosa's stirring victory was barely over when Donnie Nietes became a world champion, himself.

The diminutive fighter born in Kansilayan, Murcia but raised in Barangay Granada, Bacolod City, overcame Thailand's Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym by unanimous decision for the WBO mini flyweight title at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on Sept. 30.

“My win is a product of hardwork and sacrifice,” Nietes said.

Nietes once held the WBO Asia-Pacific mini-flyweight title and successfully defended it against Por Vorasing of Thailand, whom he knocked out in the second round of their duel at the Victorias City Gym in April.

Despite earlier promises from Bacolod City officials to award him for his achievement, Nietes was left out of the honor roll during the City's Charter Day celebrations in October.

Like Peñalosa, Nietes comes from a family of standout pugilists. They gave the Philippines its third and fourth world boxing championship in two months, after Nonito Donaire and Florante Condes won the IBF flyweight and mini-flyweight crowns, respectively.

Manny Pacquiao did not win any world title last year but he is still the most bankable ring star in the country with close to $10 million in earnings from his fight purses, alone.

His victories against Jorge Solis made headlines in April just like his conquest of Mexican nemesis Marco Antonio Barrera, who unleashed a foul punch just to survive what could have been another smashing knockout win by the Filipino in October.

Instead, the Filipino icon, who lost to Darlene Custodio in the congressional race in General Santos City, settled for a unanimous decision win that followed up his 11 th round KO of Barrera in March 2003. *

2. NEGRENSES' SEA GAMES CAMPAIGN

In terms of gold medals, Negrenses weren't as productive as in 2005 but their efforts once again put them in the spotlight in the SEA Games in Thailand in December.

Cauayan's Arniel Ferrera ruled hammer throw in record-smashing fashion for the third straight time to become one of the saving grace of an athletics team that fell short of expectations.

Ferrera's heave of 60.93m erased his old mark of 60.47m.

Binalbagan-born John Baylon bagged an unprecedented eighth consecutive SEA Games title in judo's 81 kg. division in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

Team sports, like basketball and softball produced a new band of Negrense gold medalists in Jeffrei Chan of Bacolod City, who was part of the cage team that captured the title in convincing fashion.

Nelsa Delagente, Yocel Aguilar, Mary Joy Lasquite, Sheirylou Valenzuela, Sarah Jane Agravante and Cloiene Muyco helped the softball team retain its title for another gold.

None of them, though, could overshadow the tack of five Negrense boxers, who threw the Games in disarray when they staged a silent protest on perceived pro-Thai scoring.

Bago City-born pugs Junie Tizon, Junel Cantancio and Joegin Ladon, Cadiz City's Godfrey Castro and Orlando Tacuyan Jr., who has roots in Bacolod City, “retired” from their respective gold medal matches against Thailand fighters.

Only 2000 Sydney Olympian Larry Semillano, also of Bago City, finished his match but like his teammates, who retired, settled for a silver medal.

The men's team's protest was triggered by the fate suffered by the female boxers, including Negrense Mitchel Martinez. She was robbed of a gold by a Thai fighter aided by alleged biased judging.

Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, the RP chef de mission, said the message was for the world body that is in charge of the referees and judges who are officiating.

In other fronts, the traditional dragon boat teams, whose rosters included standouts from E.B. Magalona and Silay City, also came home with four silvers, a big flop considering that the team romped home with six golds in 2005.

Golfer Anya Tanpinco of Bacolod City brought home two more silvers to her collection by placing second in the individual event and leading the squad to a silver finish in the team competition.

Also turning in a two-silver output was Julius Sermona of Himamaylan, who achieved the feat in the 5,000m and 10,000m, while Rosie Villarito of Cauayan took second place in women's javelin throw.

Boxers Albert Pabila of Bacolod and Bill Vicera of Bago both wound up with bronze medals, the same output posted by Arnold Villarube of Escalante in decathlon, Joebert Delicano of Victorias in triple jump and Carlos Padilla V of Bacolod City in taekwondo.

Team Philippines collected 41 golds, 91 silvers and 91 bronzes to finish sixth overall, its worst placing since 1977. *

3. SOFTBELLES' WORLD SERIES STINT

The roller-coaster of emotions triggered by their victory and the uncertainty of their trip. The exhaustion caused by the long hours of traveling from Bacolod to Kirkland, Washington. The late arrival to the tournament site that forced them to surrender a sure victory.

These are just some of the factors that hastened the downfall of the Bacolod-Negros junior league softbelles, who finished ninth among 10 teams in the World Series in Kirkland, Washington in August.

Much was expected from the softbelles, after winning runner-up honors in the 2006 tournament and they booked a return trip to the World Series by sweeping Guam in the Asia-Pacific championships in June.

But the team found difficulty pooling resources for their trip, despite the presence of Councilors Homer Bais and Al Victor Espino, who spearheaded the fund-raising campaign for the softbelles.

Bais raised about P500,000, while the Bacolod City Government gave P200,000.

Still, it wasn't enough as the contingent composed of Bais, five coaches and 10 players, needed P1.3 million, apart from the visa expenses of about P200,000.

Just when the clock winded down on their campaign, the PSC, through the intercession of Puentevella and Negrense PSC commissioner Richie Garcia, agreed to advance their tickets.

But another stumbling block surfaced, the delegation could not book flights to the US and had to wait two days more, finally leaving Manila Aug. 12, the same day the tournament kicked off in Kirkland.

By then, they had already forfeited their first match against Europe, a team they had dominated the past few years.

Shrugging off jet lag, the girls bounced back by scoring a 6-2 win over Westchester-Del Rey Little League of California, the US-West representatives. But two straight defeats at the hands of Harvestraw New York (0-8) and Boardman Ohio (3-7) left their semifinal hopes in shambles. The Bacolod batters salvaged pride by beating Canada, 10-0, for ninth place.

In the wake of reports that city officials were being blamed World Series debacle, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia clarified that he had not promised to shoulder all the expenses of the team.

“I understand their constraints,” he said. “And we are still willing to help as far as our own capability allows”.

Puentevella proposed a review on the extent of funding for the softball squads that have consistently qualified to the World Series to avoid similar incidents.

“If we want to win, we have to prepare early,” he said, while Garcia added, “These girls deserve all the help they could get”. (to be continued)*

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Boxers' triumph
2007 TOP ATHLETES