‘Balik Subit’ event launched

The Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) launched its Balik Subit campaign as it looks to bring together both elite and age-group triathletes who previously raced in Subic by inviting their participation in the Subic Bay International Triathlon (Subit), set for April 29 and 30, 2017. 

The event will be embarking on its 24th year.

Incoming TRAP President Ramon Marchan and national coach Rick Reyes recently graced the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum in Malate for the launch of Balik Subit, wherein they said that the national sports association also focuses on the training of the national triathlon team and the discovery of future Youth Olympic Games (YOG) representatives.

Marchan will be replacing founding TRAP President Tom Carrasco, who will assume the post of secretary general on January 1, 2017. The next TRAP chief recalled that when triathlon was still in the development stage in 1993, the association lacked the knowledge, equipment and trained manpower to fully promote the sport.

“But with the vision that it has found the perfect triathlon country, TRAP, under Tom [Carrasco] decided to stage the very first Subit with less than a hundred participants, and from that very humble beginning, brought the event to where it is now. Subic is where it all began, meaning the big international triathlon events that the Philippines is now known for,” he said.

“Along the way, with the support of the International Triathlon Union [ITU] and the Asian Triathlon Confederation [ASTC], Subit saw a dramatic increase in both local and foreign participants, including world-class and champion athletes. We at TRAP believe that Subit has, indeed, played a major role in the development of the sport in the country,” Marchan added.

For the upcoming Subit, Marchan called on all those who have raced in Subic to join the competition and participate in the online “Balik Alaala” and “Balik-Tanaw” contests to bring back memories of their own experiences.

Meanwhile, Reyes discussed the preparations being made by TRAP for its elite athletes, including the high performance training and competitions overseas and the selection process for the 2018 YOG entries.