‘Orphaned’ tracksters deliver

What made it even more challenging is that we are the only national sports association without a home. We were like orphans.

ARIES Toledo overcomes a hamstring injury to win the decathlon gold. ROMAN PROSPERO @tribunephl_RRP

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Philip Ella Juico lauded his team for a remarkable campaign in the just concluded 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

Training for the biennial meet like orphans as Patafa has no regular home with the sports facilities under renovation, the national tracksters performed beyond expectations with 11 golds, eight silvers and eight bronze medals to finish third overall in the athletic competition.

And the Patafa chief deflected the credit and commended his team for a gallant stand despite the challenges they encountered prior the biennial meet.

“What made it even more challenging is that we are the only national sports association without a home. We were like orphans. We don’t have a camp, because Ultra Philsports, Rizal (Memorial Stadium) and Clark (Stadium) were all under renovation,” said Juico during the team’s victory party Thursday night at the Sheraton Hotel in Manila.

“You are all heroes of the Filipino people. You are the one who gave us the inspiration. It shows that victory does not come easy. But you worked as hard as you can. The big crowd helped you to push more adrenalin,” he added.

Patafa initially targeted six gold medals but came up with five more as a couple came from unexpected contributors like Christine Hallasgo in the women’s marathon and decathlon’s Aries Toledo.

Hallasgo, who dethroned SEA Games champion Mary Joy Tabal, was a late addition in the national team as she was added in the pool last September while Toledo suffered a hamstring injury weeks before the biennial meet.

Other gold medalists in athletics were EJ Obiena and Natalie Uy in pole vault, Kristina Knott in 200-m, Melvin Calano in javelin throw, Willie Morrison in shot put, Sarah Dequinan of heptathlon, Clinton Bautista in the 110-m hurdles, Eric Cray in 400-m and the 4×100 mixed gender relay team.

In the previous SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the national team just won five gold medals.

“You (athletes) should be the one standing here, because you are the ones who really inspired the people,” Patafa secretary-general Agapito Capistrano said.

“We did it anyway. Despite what we have, we did whatever we can, wherever we are.”

Juico said the biggest challenge now is to sustain the gains of the SEA Games as the national tracksters vie for more Olympic slots next year in Tokyo, Japan.

“There are many points and competitions, it becomes tougher and tougher. But we expect you to continue working for it,” Juico said.