Double golf medallist Kristina Knott and the Guermali brothers will be missing the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games next month.
The 26-year-old Knott, holder of the Philippine national record for the women’s 200 meters, has withdrawn from her plans to join the national athletics team in the May 12 to 23 meet because of a foot injury.
A third medical examination this week revealed that she has plantar fasciitis on one foot, thereby affecting her ability to walk.
Said Guermali, a Fil-Moroccan, said he is suffering from the same injury, adding he won’t be coming for the 1,500-meter run.
On the other hand, his brother Yacine needs to finish his studies and will not be available for the 5,000-meter run.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association chief Philip Ella Juico said their presence would have boosted the Philippines’ bid to improve on its third-place finish in the biennial meet.
“I’m on crutches at the moment. And in two weeks, I would know if I will be ready,” said Knott, who said she will be getting ready for the Asian Games instead.
Knott now trains under Joey Scott, a prominent sprinter with personal bests of 10.51 seconds in the 100-meter and 21.74 seconds in the 200-meter races.
Said was supposed to help the Philippines get a gold in the middle distance, with his personal best time of 3:54:26 in the 1,500–achieved in a Portland meet on May 16, 2016 — better than the existing SEA Games of 4:06:53.
Yacine, who studies at Gonzaga University, could surpass the SEAG 5,000-meter mark of 14:31:15, which is inferior to his personal best of 14:02.64 set on April 19, 2019 at Palo Alto, California.
This development leaves marathon queen Christine Hallasgo and pole vaulter Obiena as among the Philippine athletes, who have a great chance of winning medals.
The others are sprinter Eric Cray (400 meter hurdles), Aries Toledo (decathlon), Janry Ubas (decathlon), Melvin Calano (javelin throw), Clinton Bautista (100-meter hurdles), Natalie Uy (pole vault), William Morrison (shotput) and Sarah Dequinan (heptathlon).