THE national athletics team will fly to Malaysia in full force, hoping to continue its tradition as a major source of pride for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games.
Exuding confidence, Philippine Athletics and Track and Field Association Philip Ella Juico relayed his marching order one last time a few days before going to battle in Kuala Lumpur.
“Just always remember that you are representing 100 million Filipinos. Keep your folks back home here proud, on and off the playing field,” said Juico on Tuesday during the send-off ceremony tendered by the PATAFA officials and sponsors, led by the Ayala Corporation and L Time Studio.
“For the first time, I’m walking with a little bounce. We have lots of funding, training is done right with our sports psychology and at Hong Kong Sports Institute. I am more confident now than the last one,” added the PATAFA chief.
The Philippines finished fourth place in athletics at the Singapore edition of the biennial games in 2015 behind Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia by with a haul of 5 golds, 7 silver and 9 bronzes.
The 38-man athletics’ squad will be joined by head coaches Dario de Rosas and Sean Guevarra, sprints and hurdles coach Jojo Posadas and Jeff Chua, John Lozada and Rene Herrera (distance running), Joebert Delicano (jumps), Dan Fresnido (javelin) and Emerson Obiena (pole vault).
Among those expected to deliver for the Philippine team are Asian championship medal winners Eric Shawn Cray, triple jumper Mark Harry Diones and pole vaulter Ernest Obiena and Fil-American lady sprinter Kayla Richardson, the 100m SEAG champion.
Cray emerged the 400-meter champion in the recent Asian Athletics Championship in India with a time of 49.57 seconds and is expected to dominate with aplomb in the smaller regional meet.
Obiena, who bagged the silver in the Asian tilt, has been improving the last two years after winning the silver in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games. His personal best of 5.61 is ripe for gold medal this time around.
Likewise with Diones, a protégé of sprints and hurdles coach Posadas. The five-time NCAA champion had beaten the Malaysian SEAG champion twice recently, in the Asian championship and the PH Open in Ilagan, Isabela.
“This time, malaki ang tsansa ni Diones,” affirmed Posadas.
Then, there’s Rio Olympian marathoner Mary Joy Tabal, who is coming off an intensive training in Italy.
“I am proud to represent the Philippines again and this time, ultimate goal ko talaga is maka gold medal,” said the four-time national champion and SEAG silver medalist in Singapore.
Other athletics’ team members with a good fighting chance for the gold are Christopher Ulboc in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Marco Vilog in the 800 meters, Mervin Guarte in 1,500 meters and Trenten Beram (200 meters).