SELECTED members of the national team will prepare for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Hong Kong.
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association is finalizing the list of athletes, who will be the in the former British colony for six weeks.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association officials, led by president Philip Ella Juico said this after expressing satisfaction over the outcome of the pre-SEA Games’ performance trials last Saturday.
“The federation has put serious effort in preparing the national team to enable all its members to meet or even surpass the SEA Games standard,” said Juico in a statement.
Officials revealed that decathlete Janry Ubas came up with a 7.88-meter leap in the long jump event, surpassing the 10-year SEA Games mark of 7.87 meters.
Javelin throwers Melvin Calano and Kenny Gonzales surpassed the SEA Games’ bronze standard of 56.84 meters with identical heaves of 62.82 meters.
Then, there’s Josie Vilarito and Evalyn Palabrica, who heaved 47.5 meters and 46.77 meters respectively, to come to within range of the bronze standard.
In discus throw, Reah Joy Sumalpong, had a new personal best of 44.38 meter, which is near the bronze standard of 45.72 meters.
Another decathlete in Aries Toledo was a revelation.
He dominated the 400-meter run in 48.13 seconds, beating Archand Bagsit, who had a 48.93 seconds.
The national squad is set to leave on June 16 for their training camp, which will be hosted by the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
The trip will be done with the assistance of the Philippine Sports Commission, Ayala Corporation, UCPB Gen and Cherrylume Corrugated Sheets.
Meanwhile, Olympian Mary Joy Tabal’s entry into the national squad is still a big question mark.
The PATAFA questioned Tabal’s conduct, saying that she would rejoin the national team whenever it pleases her and leave afterwards.
