The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Ilagan City, the “Corn Capital of the Philippines”, is ready to roll the red carpet for the staging of the 2023 Cel Logistics Inc.-Philippine Athletics Championships later this month.
The event, also known as National Open, is scheduled to be held on March 21-26 at the Ilagan Sports Complex in Isabela.
More than 1,000 athletes from all over the country and Asia, are expected to participate in the week-long competition serving as the final qualifying stage for athletes representing the country in the coming Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia in May.
Philippine Athletics Track And Field Association (PATAFA) secretary-general Edward Kho said the country’s top athletes, led by Eric Cray, William Morrison III, Kristina Knott and Natalie Uy and several foreign bets are also joining the competition.
“The top winners in each event of the National Open will get 100 ranking points in their quest to qualify for the world championships in Budapest, Hungary in August,” said Kho during the media launch at the Diamond Hotel in Manila recently.
He said foreign athletes who have already confirmed their participation are athletes from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka and Iraq .
“The National Open is highly-anticipated event this summer because the current members of the national team will be up against foreign talents as well as standouts from the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy,” said Kho.
Also in the list are Kyla Richardson, Robyn Brown, Janry Ubas, Alyana Nicolas, and other 2022 SEA Games medalists.
Kho, however, said pole vault champion EJ Obiena, will not be able to participate in the event.
“EJ isn’t joining because he has his own schedule to follow and we wouldn’t want to disrupt his rhythm right now.” Kho told mediamen.
Despite the absence of Obiena, Kho said the National Open will not be lacking in star power.
Among those ready to strut their wares before an adoring local crowd are Filipino-Americans Cray (gold, 400m hurdles), Morrison (gold, shot put; bronze, discus throw), Kayla Richardson (gold, 100m; bronze, 200m), Kyla Richardson (silver, 200m), Brown (bronze, 400m hurdles), and homegrown Clinton Kingsley Bautista (gold, 110m hurdles), Hocket delos Santos (silver, pole vault), Janry Ubas (silver, long jump; bronze, decathlon), Aries Toledo (silver, decathlon), Mark Harry Diones (silver, triple jump), Christine Hallasgo (silver, marathon), Sarah Dequinan (silver, heptathlon), Jelly Dianne Paragile (bronze, 100m hurdles), Joida Gagnao (bronze, 3000m steeplechase), Evalyn Palabrica (bronze, javelin throw), Alfrence Braza (bronze, 1500m), Melvin Calano (bronze, javelin throw), Sonny Wagdos (5000m); and Edgardo Aljean, Bernalyn Bejoy, Joyme Sequita and Jessel Lumapas (bronze, 4x400m mixed relay).
This is the fourth time that Ilagan City hosting the event since 2017.
Also present during the media launch were Cel Logistics Inc. assistant vice president Anton Capistrano and executive vice president Fernando Juan Perez, Philippine Racing Commission and PATAFA consultant Reli de Leon, vice -president for Milo Sports Carlo Sampan, PATAFA national training director Renato Unso and national head coach Jojo Posada. ROBERT ANDAYA