By Jean Malanum
MANILA – National team members Junel Gobotia and Jessa Mae Roda dominated their divisions in the ICTSI Philippine Open 3000m steeplechase event at New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac Friday.
Gobotia clocked nine minutes and 8.35 seconds to win the event for the third time in the men’s division, while Rada ruled the distaff side in 10:38.57.
The 28-year-old Gobotia recently bagged the silver medal with a time of 9:15.39, while Roda (11:18.86) placed fifth at the New Taipei City Athletics Open in Chinese-Taipei.
“It’s good that this was better than my last run in Taiwan because coach Vertek (Eduardo Buenavista) and I are chasing the qualifying time for the Asian Games of 8:36.57,” Gobothia said in a news release.
Buenavista, a top marathoner and one-time Southeast Asian Games steeplechase champion, said he will endorse Gobotia and Rada to be included in the Philippine squad to the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September.
The Asian Games qualifying time in women’s 3000m steeplechase is 9:47.53.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University’s Rica Balderama, also a member of the national team, topped the women’s long jump with a personal best 5.89 meters.
Singaporean Enya Chee got the silver (5.79) while Malaysian Aliya Nasaruddin took the bronze (5.76). (PNA)
