Daily Tribune (Philippines)

FilAm Sports extends helping hand

- BY IVAN SUING

@tribunephl_ivan

FilAm Sports is extending its helping hand to the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Associatio­n in terms of talent identifica­tion and recruitmen­t for major internatio­nal events.

FilAm Sports co-founder Bo Navarro said they are looking forward to having more foreign-based players represent the country in sports events like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

Right now, FilAm Sports has around 16 Filipino-foreign players in its roster including long distance runner Yacine Guermali, hurdler Lauren Hoffman and pole vaulter Elijah Cole, who all won gold medals in the ongoing Philippine Athletics Championsh­ip.

FilAm Sports also has talents in other sports like Sarina Bolden of football and Levi Ruivivar of gymnastics, who had already qualified for the Paris Olympics.

‘Our goal right now is to make it to the Olympic final. We’re trying to hit those Olympic standards.’

“We would love to know them and reach out to them. One of the things that we have is a form for anyone who needs assistance in navigating the sports scene in the Philippine­s, we’d love to help you out,” Navarro said.

“They’re here because they choose to be here. These guys are getting looked at by the US track team. But guess what? They are declining so they can represent the Philippine­s.”

Former pole vaulter Ed Lasquete, who competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, said they are making sure that those who want to represent the country have what it takes to compete against the best players in the world.

“We take data. We have long conversati­ons with athletes with potential. I have been here in this sport for a long time,” Lasquete, a three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, said.

“Our goal right now is to make it to the Olympic final. We’re trying to hit those Olympic standards.”

 ?? HARRY HOW/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ?? SHOHEI Ohtani gets vindicated after his former interprete­r, Ippei Mizuhara, agreed to plead guilty over charges of illegally transferri­ng nearly $17 million from his account.
HARRY HOW/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE SHOHEI Ohtani gets vindicated after his former interprete­r, Ippei Mizuhara, agreed to plead guilty over charges of illegally transferri­ng nearly $17 million from his account.

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