GTK: More hits than misses in ’05

A productive 2005 allows the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) the luxury to aim higher.

Thus said PATAFA president Go Teng Kok in declaring the year that is about to end a success for RP athletics.

"There were few misses, but most will agree that we’ve had big hits in 2005. The credits go to the athletes and the coaches, and I thank them for proving, once again, their true worth and potential."

Topping the PATAFA honor roll are hammer thrower Arnel Ferrera and long jumper Henry Dagmil, whose gold-coated Southeast Asian Games record feats were never lost in the din of the celebration for the country’s first-ever overall championship in the biennial event.

Marestela Torres kicked off the nine-gold haul of Filipino tracksters with a jump that was too long for the rest of the field to beat, even to match. Torres, prior to the SEA Games, had claimed the crown that once belonged to Lydia de Vega and Elma Muros with scintillating jumps in tough Korean and Southeast Asian meets.

The rest of GTK’s "golden army" are double-gold medalist Jimar Aing (400 hurdles and 4x400); Ernie Candelario, Julius Nierras and Cassius Perona (4x400), Rene Herrera (3,000 meters), Danilo Fresnido (javelin), Cristabel Martes (marathon) and Mercedita Manipol (10,000 meters).

Nine golds, 11 silvers and nine bronzes were the result of 14 international exposures ably supported by the First Gentleman Foundation, San Miguel Corp., PAGCOR and the Philippine Sports Commission.

It was, Go stressed, a successful year in spite of a handful of critics whose expertise "is merely to play up the negatives."

"Why put a price on our performance? When critics play up the so-called P12 million training budget my athletes got for the SEA Games, they conveniently forgot to mention that Marestela bagged a silver in the Asian Championships in Korea in September and two golds in the three-leg Asian Grand Prix in June.

"And our tracksters either went home with medals or new Philippine records and personal best efforts from their trips to Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Chinese-Taipei, Indonesia, Singapore and France."

Go, despite the effort of his wards, was also criticized for his bold predictions of at least 10 golds in the SEA Games.

"As president of the PATAFA, I believe I know what I’m talking about when I made the prediction. Unlike those who simply watch and play experts from the sidelines, I’m constantly in touch with my athletes and coaches."

Analyzing the "few misses" in the SEA Games, Go said Eduardo Buenavista lost due to overconfidence–a trait he admittedly also shares–in his long distance battle with Thai Boonthung Sirisong, marathoners Roy Vence and Allan Ballester were burnt out and middle-distance runner John Lozada failed to fully recover from a pre-SEA Games injury.

"Based on records, Buenavista, Vence, Ballester and Lozada have better personal times than those who won the golds in the SEA Games. You don’t have to be a rocket genius to make the prediction, and we’re better off without fake experts."

Go insisted that "hits" were a-plenty than "misses" for Filipino tracksters who now eagerly wait to earn slots in the RP Team for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar late in 2006.

"I could predict we won’t win a single medal in the Asian Games, but what if our tracksters do otherwise? Let us not set a limit, nor put a price to the potential and determination of the Filipino athletes."