A glimpse of what’s in store in the coming Southeast Asian Games is expected in the staging of the 14th Southeast Youth Athletics Championships and the 2019 Philippine National Open Athletics Championships in Ilagan, Isabela.
A great opportunity to see how good junior Filipino athletes are compared to their counterparts from around the Asian region will be showcased when the SEA Youth trackfest fires off today (Saturday) at the Ilagan Sports Complex.
Thailand, a powerhouse in the region, will have the biggest delegation of 50 entries. Vietnam will also send participants, along with Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Laos.
Host Philippines is forming the best national youth squad possible in the SEA Youth trackfest.
After the youth tourney, Fil-heritage athletes and local bets will have their turn to go for podium finishes in the 2019 Philippine National Open Athletics when it reels off from March 6 to 8.
Fil-American athletes such as sprinters Eric Cray, Kristina Knott, Kyla Richardson, Kayla Richardson, Zion Corrales and Robyn Brown, together with pole vaulters Nathalie Uy and Alyanna Nicolas and middle distance runner Carter Lily will be showing their wares in the national open, which is supported by Ayala Corporation, Milo, Soleus and the City of Ilagan.
The two competitions will serve as a venue for many participants preparing for the the Asian Youth Championships to be held a week later from March 15 to 17 in Hong Kong and the SEA Games later this year, hosted by the Philippines.
“The Asian Youth in Hong Kong is on March 12 to15 and many of opur neighbors are preparing for this. That’s why many countries have athletes who are going there (in Ilagan) before they go home in preparation for the SEA Games,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico.
Boasting of one of only two internationally-accredited track ovals in the country, Ilagan is also hosting the 14th Southeast Asian Youth Championships for the second time since 2017.