CV begins title retention bid at PRISAA National Games

One of the highlights during the opening ceremony of the 2025 PRISAA National Games.| Photo from the University of Cagayan Valley

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Central Visayas, the reigning overall champions of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), kicked off their title-retention campaign at the 2025 PRISAA National Games in Tuguegarao City.

PRISAA Region 7 secretariat Bernard Ricablanca remains optimistic, yet cautious about the chances of Central Visayas in defending its title.

The separation of the Negros Island cities, including Dumaguete and its neighboring areas, which have now formed the Negros Island Region (NIR), presents a new challenge.

READ: Cebu, Bohol tracksters haul multiple golds in PRISAA-7 games

In an interview with CDN Digital, Ricablanca acknowledged that other regions have strengthened their athletes roster, making this year’s competition even more intense.

“Other regions have gotten stronger since last year. Region IV-A, Region 6, and NIR have all become more competitive. We’ll miss Dumaguete, and Zamboanga won’t be an easy opponent either,” Ricablanca said.

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However, he remains hopeful that Central Visayas, primarily made up of champion teams and athletes from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI), will perform well in the week-long national meet. The delegation also includes Boholano athletes who qualified at last month’s PRISAA regional meet in Cebu City.

2024 MEDAL STANDINGS

Last year, Central Visayas dominated the medal standings, collecting 119 gold, 73 silver, and 65 bronze medals. Region 6 (Western Visayas) placed second with a tally of 79 golds, 38 silvers, and 55 bronzes, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in third place with 54 golds, 46 silvers, and 54 bronzes.

Despite the impressive gold medal haul in 2024, Ricablanca pointed out that this year’s delegation, which consists of about 500 athletes and coaches, will feature fewer high school competitors.

“We don’t have as many high school entries this year, but we’ve brought strong college athletes. The competition is tough, but our athletes are prepared,” Ricablanca said.

He expressed confidence that the consistent exposure to high-level competitions like Cesafi, CVIRAA, and the PRISAA regional meet will give Central Visayas a competitive edge.

“Many of our athletes come from Cesafi, then they move on to regionals, so the exposure never stops,” he added.

Ricablanca is particularly hopeful for strong performances from the table tennis team, weightlifting, taekwondo, karate, and dancesports, which are expected to contribute vital gold medals.

SHIFT IN STANDINGS

While Ricablanca is optimistic about Central Visayas’ chances, he acknowledged the possibility of a shift in the standings.

“If we don’t clinch the championship, we hope to finish in the top three. We’re prepared, but we’re not taking anything for granted. We just need to stay focused and continue performing well,” he said.

The first gold medal for Central Visayas came early, courtesy of last year’s multiple gold medalist, Mark Mahinay of the University of Cebu Webmasters. Mahinay triumphed in the men’s 5,000-meter run in the morning of April 7 at the Cagayan Sports Coliseum in Tuguegarao City.

Mahinay, also representing the Spectrum Runners, completed the race in 15 minutes and 26.3 seconds, finishing ahead of Ken Jay Moreto of General Santos City (15:44.03) and Mark Rennel Hubag of South Cotabato (15:44.08).