The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association’s bid to stage the Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships in New Clark City early next year got a boost with the support of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
Pending the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the annual athletics tilt is set to be staged on March 19-21, 2021 at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium.
PATAFA President Philip Juico conveyed BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon’s eagerness to partner with the PATAFA in holding the athletics championships in New Clark City as another major sporting event after the successful hosting of the 2019 South East Asian Games (SEA Games).
“It is in New Clark City where we made history, where we won as one. Our Athletics team bagged the most number of gold medals for the Philippines amongst any Olympic sports. The Olympic qualifiers will be a great opportunity for them not just to relive those winning moments, but to show the sports community that we can restart safely,” Dizon said.
Athletics collected 11 golds, 8 silvers, and 8 bronzes in the recent biennial regional games.
The calendared national championship is intended to serve as a qualifier for local athletes seeking an Olympic berth.
“PATAFA’s national championship is supposed to be an Olympic qualifier according to PATAFA President Philip Juico. That alone deserves our support and is a great reason to hold it in a world-class stadium in New Clark City. This is exciting!” Dizon said.
Aside from the National Open, the PATAFA has also included in their proposal to conduct a two-month training camp for the national athletics team which will operate under the bubble concept. Since March, at the start of the pandemic lockdown, the national tracksters have been sidelined from their high performance training as they were directed to clear out the Philsports complex and return to their respective hometowns.
Juico lamented that the level of competitiveness of the national team members has already been compromised.
“If the National Open will be an Olympic qualifier, our national athletes have to be prepared and be given provisions for that,” Juico said. “Holding a two-month bubble training camp in New Clark City will benefit our athletes of the needed intensive high-performance training and at the same time provide them a safe venue to achieve that goal.”
Dizon backed Juico, saying: “I think it will be a great service to the country if we can provide a safe training venue for our national athletes particularly from Athletics. These guys are not supposed to be endlessly training without participating in a highly competitive tournament.”
“Some of them are eyeing the Olympics and next to that is the Vietnam SEA Games which will take place in twelve months time.” Juico said. The PATAFA training camp is being eyed to start on January 16 up to March 16 in 2021.
The planned national championship and bubble training camp is also being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Ayala Corporation, Milo, and Fine Guard sportsmask.