TWO major international tournaments are in the offing for the Philippine Obstacle Sports Federation, including the OCR World Championships in Costa Rica this August.
POSF head Atty. Al Agra announced in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that a total of 18 athletes will compete in ninja races, obstacle course short, and obstacle course long in both the world meet and the Asia Pacific Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July.
Last year, Kevin Pascua won a gold and Precious Cabuya and Kaizen dela Serna bagged a silver and bronze, respectively, in the 100-meter elite finals of the OCR World Championships in Belgium.
Agra is keeping his fingers crossed that the Filipino bets would be able to equal if nor surpass last year’s feat.
“We’re preparing for these two international events especially for Ninja 100 kung saan tayo nag-excel nu’ng Southeast Asian Games. Hopefully, (it would be) like the world championships last year,” he said in the public sports program backed by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Smart/PLDT, and ArenaPlus, the leading sports entertainment gateway in the country.
It is not yet certain if obstacle course would be included in the calendar of events in next year’s 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Obstacle course delivered four gold medals for the country in last year’s edition of the SEA Games in Cambodia.
“Sana nga masama kami next year sa Thailand SEA Games. So pinagta-trabahuhan namin ‘yan,” said Agra, adding the POSF would lobby for the inclusion of the sport, now considered the fifth discipline in modern pentathlon, replacing equestrian.
“Wala na ‘yung equestrian, napalitan na ng obstacle course (as the fifth) discipline under modern pentathlon in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” he said.
