AS part of its international exposure for its athletes, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has lined up several overseas meets in the continent this year in the national team’s build-up for the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December.
Patafa Secretary General Jasper Tanhueco said among the competitions being considered are the Asian 20K Race Walking Championships that will be held on March 16 in Nomi, Japan and the Asian Marathon on March 30 in Jiaxing, China.
“We are also considering the Asian Half Marathon that will also be held in March but the date and venue have yet to be announced by the Asian Athletics Association,” Tanhueco said.
For the national juniors squad, he added, the local track body will also consider the 6th Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships from April 15 to 18 in Dammam, Saudi Arabia while the senior athletes are expected to see action in the 26th Asian Athletics Championships scheduled for May 27-31 in Gumi, South Korea.
“Competing in the Asian championships for our national team is important because it serves as a major qualifying event for the world athletics championships in Tokyo, Japan in September where they can earn ranking points,” noted Tanhueco.
The country won two gold medals in the biennial continental meet held in Bangkok, Thailand two years ago from ace pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, who set an Asian mark of 5.91 meters, and Fil-Am runner Robyn Brown, who ruled the women’s 400-meter hurdles event.
Before the Asian championships, most, if not all, of the national senior and junior athletes will vie in the Philippines Athletic Championships, also known as the National Open, to be held for the first time from May 1 to 4 at the world-class New Clark City Athletic Center in Capas, Tarlac.
“This is also an important competition since it is also a world ranking competition for the worlds,” Tanhueco said.
Also being considered, he said, is the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea where two-time SEA Games gold medalist Willie Morrison III won the bronze with a season-best heave of 19.22 meters in 2025.
Other international competitions are also being eyed, among them the Busan International Pole Vault Meeting slated June 6 to 7 in Busan, South Korea as well as the Taiwan Athletics Open in Taiwan from June 7 to 8.
With some disciplines such as jiu-jitsu and weightlifting, traditional gold mines for Pinoy bets in the regional games dropped by the Thai organizers, the country will have to look for other medal sources to prop up its overall campaign in the meet in the Land of Smiles.
Track and field is a medal-rich source with a total of 47 mints – 23 each in the men’s and women’s events and the mixed relays – up for grabs.
Pinoy campaigners went home with four gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals from the 32nd Cambodia SEA Games, and Patafa president Terry Capistrano is hopeful they can surpass this haul in December to boost the Philippine overall medal standings.
