TACLOBAN CITY – The athletes from the Leyte Sport Academy (LSA) saved the Eastern Visayas delegation from landing at the cellars at the recently finished Palarong Pambansa held in Davao City.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express that there were 26 athletes from the LSA who joined the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) delegation that participated in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Davao City held last April 27-May 4.
Gov. Petilla said that the LSA athletes won 6 golds, 6 silvers and 7 bronzes from athletics (100, 200) meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, javelin throw and another two from wrestling.
Based on the final and official tally of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa, the region got 11 gold, 8 silver and 19 bronze medals and landed 13th in the regional medal ranking.
Petilla pointed out that if the LSA athletes did not garner the number of medals won, the EVRAA would have only obtained 5 gold, 2 silver and 11 bronze medals and landed in the 14th rank.
Petilla recalled that in 2018 Palarong Pambansa held in Vigan City, LSA-trained athletes also did something in saving EVRAA from finishing in the 17th (lowest rank) in the medal ranking.
He added that out of the 9 gold, 10 silver, and 9 bronze medals won of EVRAA, 8 golds, 5 silver and 6 bronzes were harvested by LSA athletes.
Petilla said LSA athletes have been the main contributor for the EVRAA gold output in the past six years of the Palarong Pambansa tournaments.
The LSA delegation have also won gold medals in international tournaments in the past.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

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