• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental is hosting the Philippine University Games (Unigames), a national collegiate sports competition, this coming Oct. 24 to 30.
In a press conference on Thursday (Oct. 9), Unigames president Roger Banzuela said the sports event will be participated by at least 1,770 athletes and 279 coaches from an initial 35 colleges and universities all over the country, on top of about 130 technical officials.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is being supported by the local government units of Silay and Talisay and highly urbanized Bacolod City in hosting the annual sports competition, which was interrupted between 2020 and 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 1996 by then University of St. La Salle president Br. Rolando Dizon, and Banzuela, the first Unigames was held in Bacolod City with volleyball games as the sole competition.
The nine Unigames athletic events will include badminton, basketball for men and women, football for men and futsal for women, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball for men and women, and beach volleyball for men and women.
The games will be held at the Panaad Park and Stadium, Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Gym, City Mall Mandalagan, Bacolod Arts Center, Bacolod City College Activity Center, Carlos Hilado Memorial State University in Talisay City, and Silay City gym.
Banzuela said they are offering public schools as billeting areas for those with big number of athlete-participants.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that being a La Salle graduate, he accepted the hosting duties when it was offered to Negros Occidental, adding that the province is extending a P500,000 financial assistance to the Unigames.
Hosting the event will help boost the sports tourism program of the province, he said.
The opening ceremony will be held on Oct. 23, 4 p.m. at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon grounds in Bacolod City. | GB
