COMING from different backgrounds, young middle-distance runners Victoria Bossong and Hussein Lorana may emerge as the new standard-bearers of Philippine athletics in the not-too-distant future.
Bossong, 20, and Lorana, 19, scored contrasting victories in the women’s and men’s 800-meter runs, respectively, in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships last Saturday afternoon at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.
Still feeling the effects of jet lag, Bossong, who arrived past midnight last Wednesday from the US, was not at her best but still emerged as a wire-to-wire winner with a time of two minutes and 09.56 minutes in her track debut in the country.
Fresh from his win recently in the Hong Kong Athletic Championships, Lorana made his move at the 250-meter mark and then held off Mandaluyong’s David Paul Matibog to narrowly triumph in 1:51.32 to the former’s 1:52.34 in the meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and backed by CEL Logistics.
Mildly upset that it was not the victorious homecoming she planned, Bossong was still overjoyed just to race in her mother’s country for the first time, saying: “I am very happy to be here. It’s a lovely day to compete in the Philippines. I am just really proud to be in our country.”
Hoping to race for the Philippines in the Paris Olympics as efforts to acquire her Filipino passport entered the homestretch, she attributed her slow time to “running twice a day usually when I race every other day in the US. I am still learning. So I’m fine with it.”
Her clocking was way off her personal best of 2:0.92, just a whisker off the Olympic entry standard of 1:59.3, set at the Pepsi Florida Relays last March.
Nevertheless, she was thrilled by her maiden appearance in the meet with her doting mother, dentist Annie Atienza Bossong, watching from the main grandstand during the competition also backed by Wireless Link, Pocari Sweat and Sip water.
“I definitely wanted to come out here. I am not quite happy with what I did but I definitely came here to win (the) gold and bring pride to our country,” said the comely Harvard varsity track mainstay.
Mrs. Bossong, who hails from Puerto Galera, said she felt goosebumps watching her daughter race in front of a Filipino crowd.
“Of course, I am proud, and look at my shirt. I am her No. 1 fan. She’s my GOAT,” pointing to her T-Shirt printed with the huge picture of Bossong. “Victoria is always relaxed when she runs but I am always nervous.”
The young Bossong was delighted with the warm welcome she received from Pinoy fans, who found her approachable and even took selfies with her after her run.
“It brings me so much joy to have support from this country. I know I have so much love to give. I am just so grateful to be here,” added Bossong, who flew back to the US Sunday as she and the Crimson prepare for the NCAA Division I Eastern regionals in Kentucky this week.
While she is starting to make waves in the US, Lorana has emerged a force to reckon with on the collegiate athletics circuit, garnering four individual golds in the men’s 400, 800, 1,500 and 5,000-kilometer races in the last UAAP meet.
Last year, the Grade 12 Adamson University student garnered mints in the men’s 400, 800 and 4×400-meter relay races in the Private Schools Athletic Association National Games in Zamboanga City.
“I am really satisfied with my performance kahit medyo kulang sa training since I just trained for a month after the UAAP season,” said Lorana, who was born in Baguio with six other siblings, including twin brother Hassan.
He said his father, former national judoka-turned-blogger Bonifacio Lorana, led them to the Muslim faith as they were growing.
Recognizing Lorana’s enormous potential, Patafa chief Terry Capistrano said he is sending the athlete to the Asian Relays set May 20 to 21 in Bangkok, Thailand and then to the Taipei Open in early June.
