Cebu track is 2-meter short

CEBU CITY — The new records that will be set in track events of the 64th Palarong Pambansa will be put on hold after organizers found out that the oval at the Cebu City Sports Center is short by two meters.

Palaro technical official Jeanette Obiena told DAILY TRIBUNE that they found out that the track oval is just 398-meter long, two meters short of the 400-meter measurement required by the World Athletics.

Obiena, the mother of prized athlete Ernest John Obiena, said they have already reached out to the track oval’s contractor — SBD Builders — to shed light on this issue.

But while the SBD Builders has yet to release the official measurement, Obiena and other technical officials from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association will not honor any record that will be set in the substandard track oval that was constructed in 1994.

“We are now just waiting for the actual measurement from the contractor who constructed the track oval,” Obiena said.

“We are hoping that the measurements will be done and released soon.”

Cebu-based Philippine Sports commissioner Edward Hayco said they will conduct their own investigation on this very sensitive matter.

“We’re investigating it. We’ll be having a third-party measure it,” Hayco said.

So far, no athlete has set a record in track events like running, hurdles and walking.

Instead, those who set new records are field athletes like Jyane Kirt Cantor of Central Luzon, who shattered the 22-year-old mark in secondary boys’ long jump event on Thursday, and Charles Turla, who set a new record in the elementary boys’ javelin throw last Friday.

Obiena said they are hoping that the contractor will release the official measurement before the competition comes to a close on Monday.

“We hope to have the technical dimensions of the oval early on because in the last consultative meeting here, we asked for the measurements and are still waiting for it,” Obiena said.

“We ask that the next hosts don’t rush it and have the necessary documents ready before the start of the tournament so problems like this can be avoided.”