We are very confident that we will win gold medals in many events.

THE Philippine athletics team shoots for six gold medals in the 30th SEA Games. ROMAN PROSPERO @tribunephl_RRP

ANGELES CITY — The Philippine track and field team has the records to back up its claim that it can surpass its previous performance in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Head coach Jojo Posadas said the 60-man squad is ready and confident to bring pride to the host nation.

“We are very confident that we will win gold medals in many events,” said Posadas during the send-off of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) at the Clark Marriott Hotel yesterday here.

“Their performances on their previous races and international competitions really showed that we have a 100 percent chance of bringing home the golds,” added Posadas, the husband of Philippine athletics legend Elma Muros.

In the past two editions of the biennial meet, the Philippine track and field team collected five gold medals each and this time, with the country hosting the 11-nation conclave from 30 November to 11 December, Patafa is eyeing at least six gold medals.

Posadas said the potential gold medalists for the national team are EJ Obiena and Nathalie Uy (pole vault), Kristina Knott (100-meter dash), Carter Lilly (800 meters), William Morrison (shotput) and Eric Cray (400-meter hurdles).

Mary Joy Tabal (women’s marathon), Clinton Bautista (men’s 110-meter hurdles), Filipino-Moroccan Said Germali (men’s 1,500 meters), Mark Harry Diones (men’s triple jump) and Aries Toledo (decathlon) are also potential gold medal winners in athletics.

Meanwhile, Patafa president Philip Ella Juico encouraged the athletes to shrug-off the recent unfortunate events coming out about the country’s hosting of the SEA Games and instead focus on the task on hand.

“We have great facilities and comfortable accommodation. With all what happened, we need to do something great — something extraordinary,” said Juico, who led the send-off for national tracksters.

Track and field competition will start in 6 December at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac with Tabal plunging first and could be the country’s first source of gold medal in athletics.