PH ATHLETICS TEAM SABAK SA ASIAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

PANGUNGUNAHAN ni world’s no. 3 pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena ang 17-member Philippine team sa 10th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships na gaganapin sa Feb. 10-12 sa Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Makakasama ni Obiena sina Fil-Americans Kristina Marie Knott (women’s 60-meter), Natalie Uy (women’s pole vault), Eric Shaun Cray (men’s 60-meter and 400-meter) at William Edward Morrison III (men’s shot put), at locals Hockett Delos Santos (men’s pole vault), Mark Harry Diones (men’s triple jump), Leonard Grospe (men’s high jump), Janry Ubas (men’s long jump and heptathlon), John Cabang (men’s 60-meter hurdles), Mariano Masano at Edwin Giron Jr. (men’s 800-meter), Michael Carlo Del Prado (men’s 400-meter), Jelly Dianne Paragile and Melissa Escoton (women’s 60-meter hurdles), at Alexie Mae Caimoso at Sarah Dequinan (women’s pentathlon).

Sina Cray, Del Prado, Giron at Masano ay lalahok din sa 4x400m relay event.

“This is the earliest international competition available with the highest possible World Athletics points to be gained,” sabi ni Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) Secretary General Edward Kho nang tanungin kung bakit ang Kazakhstan event ang napiling unang exposure ng koponan.

Si Obiena (1394 points) ay nasa likod nina Swedish Armand Duplantis (1601) at American Christopher Nilsen (1430) base sa World Athletics rankings, hanggang Dec. 27, 2022.

“We are sending our best athletes who have higher chances of winning medals since this is an Asian-level competition,” sabi ni coach Sean Guevarra na, kasama si coach Dario de Rosas, ay sasamahan ang mga atleta.

Ang national athletics team ay naghahanda para sa tatlong major tournaments ngayong taon — ang Southeast Asian Games sa Cambodia (May 5-17), Asian Games sa Hangzhou, China (Sept. 23-Oct. 8), at ang Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games sa Bangkok-Chonburi, Thailand (Nov. 17-26).

Noong nakaraang Disyembre, ang koponan ay lumahok sa Thailand Open kung saan nag-uwi ito ng 5 gold, 6 silver, at 4 bronze medals

Ang gold medal winners ay sina Masano (800m), Dequinan (heptathlon), Del Prado, Edgardo Alejan Jr., Joyme Sequita and Francis Medina (4x400m relay), John Albert Mantua (men’s shot put) at Alfrence Braza (men’s 1,500m).

Ang silver medalists ay sina Grospe (high jump), Masano (1500m), Grospe, Del Prado (400m), Ubas (long jump), Katherine Khay Santos (women’s long jump) at Joida Gagnao (women’s 3,000m steeplechase).

Bronze winners naman sina Gagnao (5,000m), Medina (400m hurdles), Delos Santos (pole vault) at Santos, Eloiza Medina, Escoton at Paragile (4x100m).

Sa 2022 Vietnam SEA Games, ang Pilipinas ay tumapos sa ikatlong puwesto sa athletics na may 5 gold, 7 silver, at 14 bronze medals.

Ang limang gold medals ay nagmula kina Obiena, Cray (400-meter hurdles), Morrison (shot put), Clinton Bautista (110-meter hurdles), at Fil-Am Kayla Richardson (100-meter).

PNA