Philippine Sports News and Updates

Anticipating the toughness of competition in the forthcoming 24th Southeast Asian Games slated December 6-16 this year in Nakhon Ratchisima, Thailand nine RP track and field standouts including Negrenses Joebert Delicano of Victorias City and Sheena Atilano of La Carlota City are set to leave this Friday for the 15-nation Singapore Open Athletics Championships which reels off Saturday, September 8.

Also in the contingent are Esmeraldo Pacheco, Benigno Marayag, Julius Nierras, Arnold Villarube, Albert Salcedo, Alex Gabito and Sarah de la Virgo.

National triple jump record holder Delicano is also entered in the long jump while Atilano will showcase her skills in the 100 hurdles, the event where she broke the national record previously held by the legendary Elma Muros-Posadas.

Nierras will compete in 400 meters and de la Virgo also in 100 hurdles while Villarube, Salcedo, Gabito and Marayag will see action in the 4x100-meter relay event.

The Singapore trip is part of the training calendar of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) headed by Go Teng Kok and is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as part of the country’s preparations for the biennial meet where PATAFA aims to improve its 9-5-11 gold-silver-bronze haul in the 2005 SEAGames in Manila.

Atilano, a former Palarong Pambansa sensation, erased from the record book the 13.66 seconds of Muros-Posadas in the 100-m hurdles with a new mark of 13.65 seconds which she established during the Asian Athletics series leg in India last year.

Delicano, the 27-year old Philippine air force enlisted man, holds the existing national record in triple jump of 15.97 meters which he established during the 2005 SEA Games.

A member of the national track and field team since 1997, Delicano has won more than 30 medals in international competitions.

Source: Sun Star