Old Turks, greenhorns launch bid

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – National team mainstays like Olympian Eduardo “Vertek” Buenavista and aspirants like Robin Darwin Tullao are raring to prove their stuff as action in the 2011 POC-PSC National Games heats up today.

Buenavista, a veteran of the Sydney and Athens Games, is set to see action in the 10,000 meter run in the absence of marathon in the PNG calendar of events while Tullao seeks to break into Team Phl with a sterling performance in the 110m hurdles in centerpiece athletics that blasts off at the Panaad Track Oval here.

“Target namin dito ay gold at national record (More than living up to expectations in winning the gold, our target is to break the national record),” said the 32-year-old long-distance specialist Buenavista, referring to the 29:02.36 Phl mark he himself set at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.

The PSC and the POC have tapped the PNG as one of the criteria for the selection of Team Phl members to the Southeast Asian Games and aspirants like the Tuguegarao native Tullao intends to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“Chance ko na ito na ma-break ang record at makasama sa national team (This is my chance to break the Phl record and make it to the national team),” said the 6-footer Tullao, whose personal best is 15.1 seconds. The standing national mark is 14.75 seconds established by Alonzo Jardin in the 1997 SEAG.

Tullao came off an eighth place finish at the Thailand Open, a trip funded by the Cagayan government, that he said boosted his confidence for the PNG.

In compliance with the organizers’ directive, the national tracksters have virtually come in full force for these weeklong competitions. Aside from Buenavista, slated to see action are veteran internationalists Marestella Torres, Arniel Ferrera, Jho-An Banayag, Danilo Fresnido, and Rosie Villarito. Only three nationals are absent, jumpers Henry Dagmil and Joebert Delicano and hurdler Sheena Atilano, who are competing at the Asian GP in China.

Nineteen gold medals are at stake in today’s start of track and field hostilities at Panaad.

Also commencing their respective competitions in Day 2 are volleyball and beach volleyball (University of St. La Salle), karatedo (Bacolod Arts Center), lawn tennis (Center Court Tennis Club), muay (Manuel Torres Coliseum and Cultural Center in Bago City), futsal (Talisay City gym), women’s football (Carlos Hilado State College/Yanson Football Field) and pencak silat (Talisay Public Plaza) in Talisay City.

The PNG is presented by Smart, P&G in partnership with Scratch it! Instant Tama Go for Gold and Summit Mineral Water and supported by Accel, Zest Air, Gatorade, Negros Navigation, Standard Insurance, Bodivance, Super Ferry, ABS-CBN, Province of Negros Occidental, City of Bago, City of Bacolod, Lungsod ng Silay, City of Talisay and The Philippine STAR.