Tracksters claim silver, bronze in Thai Open

MANILA, Philippines - Team Philippines held its ground against the best in the region and came away with a silver and bronze medal in the 2014 Thailand Open Track and Field Championships at Thammasat University in Bangkok recently.

Myanmar Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Riezel Buenaventura snared second place in women’s pole vault with a 3.80-meter effort that actually matched the SEAG mark.

A Thai bet bested Buenaventura’s performance with a leap of 3.90 meters. Hsu Hsueh-Chin of Chinese Taipei took third place honors with her 3.70m effort.

Julian Reem Fuentes landed in the podium in men’s long jump, copping the bronze with a 7.18-meter leap. Like Buenaventura, a Thai bet beat the Phl entry for the gold with a tournament-best 7.29 meters while another hometown jumper took the silver with 7.21 meters.

Javelin thrower Evalyn Palabrica and high jumper Manuel Lasangue Jr. fell short of a medal finish as they settled for fourth and seventh in their respective events. 

Palabrica threw the spear to 42.93 meters in the event won by Malaysia’s Siti Nur Nadiah Mohamad Osman (49.34m). For his part, Lasangue posted 1.95 meters, off the winning 2.18-m of Malaysian Lee Hup Wei.

The Phl team’s participation was sponsored by Cebu Pacific, the country’s No. 1 budget airline, as part of its contribution to sports development and in keeping with its motto of “It’s time everyJuan flies,” and Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association vice chairman Philip Ella Juico, a former chair of the Philippine Sports Commission and current president of Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.