WV athletes to compete in 2011 'Palaro' on March 20 to 24
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - More than 3,000 athletes from public elementary and secondary schools will participate in the 2011 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet at Iloilo Sports Complex in Iloilo City on March 20 to 24.
The region's biggest sports competition is hosted by the Divisions of Iloilo and Iloilo City under the leadership of Schools Division Superintendents Dr. Raymundo Lapating and Dr. Erlinda Gencaya. The athletic meet is supported by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. and Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
Bannered by the theme "Enshrining School Sports in Western Visayas" six provincial delegations - Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental and host province Iloilo from 18 divisions in Western Visayas will join in the sports competition.
Aklan will be billeted in Iloilo Central Elementary School, the province of Capiz in Jalandoni Memorial National High School, Guimaras athletes in Graciano Elementary School, the delegation from Antique in Jaro 1 Elementary School while athletes from Negros Occidental will be accommodated in La Paz 1 Elementary School.
The host province of Iloilo and WVRAA technical officials will be billeted in Iloilo National High School.
Deped regional director Dr. Mildred Garay, also the WVRAA overall chairman for Technical and Games Administration, said athletes in the elementary and secondary divisions will compete in arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, sipa, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball.

The Search for Mr. and Miss Palarong Pangrehiyon and Dancesports are not included in this year's regional sportfest. Last March 8, the Literary and Musical contest was held at SM City Cinema 6 in Iloilo City for both elementary and secondary levels to avoid overlapping of schedules.

The venues for the five-day sportfest are arnis (Iloilo National High School Multipurpose Gym/Amigo Terrace Mall), archery (beside Iloilo Sports Complex covered gymnasium/WIT new site), athletics (WIT new site Iloilo Sports Complex), baseball (Central Philippine University grounds), badminton (Iloilo Sports Complex covered gym), basketball (Iloilo Sports Complex/WVSU Pescar Gym/St Joseph GS) and boxing (Jaro Plaza gym/Plazuela beside SM City).

Other games such as chess will be played in Division of Iloilo City Multipurpose Hall, football (Iloilo Sports Complex/La Paz Plaza), softball (WVSU grounds), swimming (Iloilo Sports Complex swimming pool), table tennis (SM City Activity Center), tennis (La Paz Plaza/Iloilo Sports Complex Tennis Courts) and volleyball (SM City Parking Area/ Iloilo Sports Complex volleyball courts).

The province of Aklan last hosted the WVRAA at the sprawling Aklan Calangcang Sports Complex in the town of Makato from March 14 to 19 in 2010.