Big guns vie for Olympic points at Philippine Athletics Championships

Photo: (From left) Sportsman Reli P. De Leon, assistant to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), Inc. President Terry Capistrano, PATAFA secretary general Jasper Tanhueco and National coach Jeoffrey Chua in Tuesday’s session of the PSA Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association is putting its best foot forward for the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships scheduled May 8-12 at the Philsports Track and Field in Pasig City.

The event, formerly known as the Philippine National Open, features the best homegrown and foreign athletes as it was officially sanctioned by the World Athletics, offering qualifying points for this year’s Paris Olympics.

“Except for EJ (Obiena), who already qualified for the Olympics, our very own local talents and Fil-Heritage athletes are coming to strut their wares against foreign participants,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general Jasper Tanhueco, who was accompanied by special assistant to the PATAFA president Reli de Leon and national coach Joeffrey Chua at the PSA Forum on Tuesday.

All eyes are on Filipino Olympic hopefuls headed by Lauren Hoffman. The 24-year-old Fil-Am hurdler has already made her mark in the PH National record in 100m hurdles and hopes to make it to Paris.

She will be joined in the five-day event by Spain-based John Cabang Tolentino, Asian champion Robyn Brown, and Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Eric Cray, Janry Ubas, and Kristina Knott.

All are closed in to make the top 40 in their respective events.

For his part, De Leon said that the recent revamp of the coaching staff is part of an effort to instill new minds and strategies.

“So far wala pang masyadong impact ito sa mga atleta but sooner or later makikita natin ang pagbabago sa mga p;erormance,” said De Leon, also the Chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission.

Chua added that registration is still open, but around 700 athletes, including those from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, have already confirmed their participation. The event is divided into three categories – Elite/Open Men and Women -20 years old and above, athletes born in the year 2004 and below; U20-Boys and Girls-Any athletes of 18 and 19 years on the 31st of December in the year of competition (athletes born in the years 2006 and 2005) and U-18 Boys and Girls-Any athlete of 17 or younger on the 31st of December in the year of competition (athletes born in the years 2007 and 2011).

The ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships is supported by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Foundation, MILO Philippines CEL, Logistics Inc., Pocari Sweat Philippines, SIP Purified Water, Wireless Link Technologies Inc. (WLTI), United Auctioneers Inc., Masiv Sports, Victory Liner, AAI Worldwide Logistics, Inc and Filam Sports.