SEA Games gold, silver medalists likely to lead Philippine athletics team in Asian tilts

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino athletics gold and silver medalists in the 32nd Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games will be heavily considered to make up the national team seeing action in both the Asian Championships and Asian Games.

“Those who significantly performed well in the SEA Games will be shortlisted to our team going to the Asian Championships and Asian Games,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general and executive director in Sunday’s online presser.

“Silver medal is the minimum standard,” he added.

This meant those who could make the team are gold medalists EJ Obiena of pole vault, Eric Cray of 400-meter hurdles, Janrey Ubas of long jump and the 4x400m relay team of Clinton Bautista, Michael del Prado, Joyme Sequita and Umajesty Williams, and the 10 silver winners headed by heptathlon’s Sarah Dequinan.

The country came a gold short in matching its five-gold, seven-silver and 14-bronze haul in last year’s Hanoi Games after finishing with a 4-10-8 harvest in this year’s edition held in the Cambodian capital.

Kho said the competition just got stronger.

“It was just the twist of the competition, it was really how it is,” he said.

The whole team has already returned safely home, including Obiena, who vowed to deliver again in the Asian Championships set June 10-12 in Pattaya, Thailand, and the Asiad set September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China.

“Those two events are going to be part of my preparation,” said Obiena.