THE Philippine Athletics Championships, popularly known as the National Open, is expected to draw a huge overseas field since it will also serve as a qualifying meet for the Paris Olympic Games, according to athletics secretary general Edward Kho.
“The National Open will offer Olympic ranking points to athletes that want to boost their chances to make it to Paris so we are expecting a big field from all over Asia to compete in the event,” Kho aid of the competition set from May 7 to 11 at the Philsports track oval in Pasig.
He said they are looking at more than 1,000 athletes who will compete in the five-day competition compared.
He, however, could not confirm if some of the overseas-based Filipinos such as Olympic-bound and Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Ernest John Obiena and Asian women’s 400-meter hurdles champion Robyn Brown would see action in the meet.
Kho said “this will be a great opportunity for some of our local athletes seeking to qualify for Paris to be inspired and excel in competing in front of a hometown crowd.”
Among the Olympic hopefuls is 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games long jump champion Janry Ubas, who set a new national record of 8.08 meters in the men’s long jump on the way to clinching the silver in the men’s heptathlon.
His jump is 19 centimeters short of the Olympic qualifying standard of 8.27 meters.
With a strong performance in his pet event, Ubas could earn enough ranking points to bolster his Olympic bid in the meet while gaining more by competing overseas in other Olympic qualifying competitions
He needs to be among the top 32 qualifiers in the men’s long jump at the end of the June 30 cut-off date, Kho said.
