GLORIOUS FINISH

Tracksters turn back hands of time

But to our surprise, we won not just eight or nine, but 11 gold medals. It just shows that we are capable of winning if we would put our hearts and minds into what we are doing

For the national track and field team, claiming 11 gold medals in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games was more than just an achievement. It was a testament that they still have what it takes to reclaim the supremacy, glory and brilliance they used to enjoy in the international arena.

Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Philip Ella Juico said his athletes greatly overachieved.

Prior to the biennial meet, they made an in-depth analysis and found out that they are capable of winning only six to eight gold medals, way below than the 11 gold medals that his athletes delivered in the most prestigious athletic meet in Southeast Asia.

“Well, I can say that we are very successful during the previous SEA

Games,” said Juico, who is no stranger to big-time competitions being a former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission. “Based on our initial prognosis, our team was just good to win around six to eight gold medals since we won only five during the last SEA Game in Kuala Lumpur.” “But to our surprise, we won not just eight or nine, but 11 gold medals. It just shows that we are capable of winning if we would put our hearts and minds into what we are doing.”

Under the Project: Gintong Alay program, the Filipino tracksters dominated the region in the 1980s.

They emerged with eight gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals in the 1981 biennial meet in Manila followed by an emphatic 11-gold harvest in the Singapore edition in 1983 behind the brilliance of Lydia de Vega-Mercado, who ruled the women’s 200-meter run after dominating the New Delhi Asian Games the year before.

They dominated again in the Bangkok edition in 1985 with 10 gold, four silver and five bronze medals.

But in the most recent SEA Games, the Filipino athletes appeared to have taken back the hands of time.

EJ Obiena, the Olympic-bound pole vault specialist, redeemed himself from a previous boo-boo by registering a tournament-best 5.45 meters to clinch his first-ever SEA Games title.

Former Olympian Eric Cray refused to remove the crown on his head as he reigned supreme in the men’s 400-meter hurdles for the third straight time while Kristina Knott claimed the women’s 200-meter dash title in style by surpassing De Vega-Mercado’s 33-year record with an incredible 23.01 seconds.

Another gem in Christine Hallasgo also pulled off a miracle by dethroning compatriot Mary Joy Tabal as queen of Southeast Asian marathon while Filipino-American thrower William Morrison powered his way to a record-breaking 18.38 meters in the men’s shot put event.

Juico said these performances make him believe that the future is bright for Philippine athletics.

“Everybody is a work in progress. Despite this impressive finish, we still continue to prepare for upcoming meets and championships,” he said.

“Brushing aside the worldwide threat of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, our athletes will continue their relentless pursuit for the country’s first-ever Olympic medal.”

“It’s still a long way to go, but

I like how we started.”