PH looks for end of Asiad medal drought behind Obiena, top young talents


EJ Obiena is a cinch to make the Asian Games podium in China. —PHOTO BY TEAM PHILIPPINES

EJ Obiena is a cinch to make the Asian Video games podium in China. —PHOTO BY TEAM PHILIPPINES

The yr earlier than EJ Obiena was born, Elma Muros-Posadas received a bronze medal within the Hiroshima Asian Video games. That was the final time the nation reached the rostrum in athletics within the continental meet.

The final time the Philippines received a gold? Obiena wasn’t even born but.

The world No. 3 pole vaulter can finish each droughts within the coming Asian Video games in China.

“EJ will certainly compete within the Asian Video games, that’s one medal he doesn’t have but,’’ stated observe and area affiliation (Patafa) chief Terry Capistrano.

Obiena will lead what may very well be an enormous delegation for the Philippines in Hangzhou, the place the athletics star hopes to ship the nation’s first gold medal because the late Lydia de Vega-Mercado’s triumph within the centerpiece 100-meter (m) race within the 1986 Seoul version.

The bid shouldn’t be far-fetched. Obiena is a powerful favourite to prime the Asian Video games owing to his previous performances, underlined by an Asian record-shattering 5.94m soar in a bronze-medal effort on the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon final yr.

Loophole

In China, the Patafa will look to construct a younger and promising squad, hoping to reap the benefits of a uncommon meet loophole.

“We’re taking a look at sending inside the neighborhood of 20 to 25 athletes and 10 coaches. That is the final Asian Video games that there received’t be any qualifying and because it’s open and we’ve a pool of younger athletes,’’ Capistrano stated.

“We’d as properly take benefit,” he added.

Capistrano revealed that they’ve already provide you with a listing primarily based on the workforce’s medal output within the current Southeast Asian (SEA) Video games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, however nothing has been solid in stone but.

Filipino tracksters pocketed 4 gold medals, 10 silvers and eight bronzes from the SEA Video games and the Patafa has adopted the preliminary gold-silver standards set by the Philippine Olympic Committee in choosing the athletes for the Asiad slated on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

The Italy-based Obiena dominated his occasion and reset his personal SEA Video games document to five.65m.

Eric Cray retained his 400m hurdles title for the sixth consecutive version of the Video games in Cambodia whereas the quartet of Umajesty Williams, Michael del Prado, Frederick Ramirez and Joyme Sequita struck gold within the males’s 4x400m relay.

“Proper now, we’ve a protracted checklist for the Asian Video games, however we’ll prune it down. We nonetheless have a couple of competitions left earlier than the Asian Video games. From there, we are able to choose athletes who’re prepared,’’ stated Capistrano, a former observe and area athlete. INQ



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