By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Paris Olympians Jan Tolentino Cabang and Lauren Hoffman will lead the country’s campaign in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships scheduled at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac from May 1 to 4.
About 800 athletes, including 60 from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, and Papua New Guinea, are expected to give their best to earn points in the World Athletics category B event.
“The event serves as the basis for the selection of our national team to the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December so we expect the best performances from them,” Reli De Leon, special assistant to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Terry Capistrano, said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday.
“This is the first time we’re staging the PH Open in New Clark City and we’re expecting even greater performances from our athletes, especially with the availability of a dedicated warm-up track that supports high-level competition,” added De Leon, who chairs the Philippine Racing Commission.
National coaches Dario De Rosas and Jeoffrey Chua also attended the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission. Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
“Athletes from various leagues, such as NCAA, UAAP, and PRISAA, are looking forward to the PH Open where they can showcase their talents and hopefully get into the national training pool,” De Rosas said.
The country’s top under-18 athletes will also vie as they seek slots in the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain this October.
The NCC track and field stadium was the venue of the 2019 SEA Games. To ensure the safety of the participants considering the intense summer heat, competition events are set from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. except for the walkathon, which has morning sessions.
“The venue has an Olympic atmosphere and unlike other venues here, there is a complete warm-up area for the athletes before they enter the main stadium,” said Chua.
“Our Olympians and Fil-foreign athletes are more excited to showcase their talents. And that’s why we expect good performances and of course new records. Our national team members will all be here because it’s a requirement,” he added. (PNA)
