Leyte Sports Academy athletes now part of the national team

By Provincial Media Relations Center
December 26, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Two sports-scholars of the Leyte Sports Academy have made it to the national athletics team that would compete in the 2014 Youth Games in China, after they earned medals during the recently concluded National Batang Pinoy 2011 in Naga City.

LSA Administrator Rowil Batan disclosed the two athletes are junior high school Francis Acedillo and senior high student Angelica Publico. Acedillo won in the 800 meter and 1,500 meter run; while, Publico earned a spot in the 400 meter low hurdle.

The two athletes were part of the 16-man delegation that the academy brought to the national competition of the Batang Pinoy after winning gold and silver medals in the Visayas leg in Dumaguete.

“Considering that we have just started the academy and training these athletes for just a little over a year, we are really very proud of their achievements so far. This goes to show we are on the right track in honing our local sports talents,” Batan said.

At the Batang Pinoy 2011 national finals in Naga City, LSA athletes claimed three gold medals, five silvers and four bronze medals. All the medals, except for one silver in boxing, came from athletics.

However, Batan disclosed that the LSA management would have to make negotiations with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to have Acedillo and Publico still continue at the academy despite being part of the national team.

Batan said both the athletes are still in their high school and the LSA management would not want their education disrupted at the moment.

“As Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said, we have gathered these athletes from all over the province not just to train them in their respective sports, but they are also required to excel or maintain their academics,” Batan said.

Earlier, the two athletes were given formal recognition by the provincial government through Gov. Petilla for their exemplary performance from the Leyte Provincial Meet, to the SCUAA games and up to the Batang Pinoy 2011 in Dumaguete and Naga City.

Aside from the two, the rest of the LSA athletes who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Leyte Provincial Meet, SCUAA and Batang Pinoy 2011 were also given incentives by the provincial government of Leyte.

For having won the most number of medals, Acedillo and Publico got the highest incentive with more or less P10,000.

The rest of the athletes variably received their respective incentives.