PROMISING young Fil-Am runner Naomi Cesar made her memorable debut for the country over the weekend, clocking two minutes and 17.87 seconds to bag the bronze medal in the women’s 800-meter run at the 6th Asian Under-18 Athletics Championships at Prince Nayef Stadium in Qatif, Saudi Arabia.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Cesar, a sophomore at Sunset High School, emerged as the lone medal winner among six Filipino bets who saw action in the games and the second medal in the meet since long jumper Jose Jerry Belibestre copped the bronze in the 2015 edition held in Doha, Qatar.
Had she clocked her personal best of 2:14.42, Cesar, who came with his father-coach and former national team member Ben, could have bested Sri Lankan gold medalist Mahadura Gedara Pemasiri (2:14.86) and finished ahead of Chinese runner-up Ye Meiling (2:15.92).
Pending verification, former three-time Southeast Asian Games men’s pole vault champion and 1992 Barcelona Olympian Ed Lasquete, who co-heads FilAm Sports, said Cesar’s performance enabled her to qualify for the 3rd Asian Youth Games to be held in Manama, Bahrain in October.
“We are bent on sending our promising young athletes to international meets because this is a way they can improve on their performances as well as measure themselves against foreign opposition,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano.
Loraine Battalla was the next best performer behind Cesar, finishing seventh in the women’s 400-meter finals in 1:00.90, while Angel Villagracia placed 10th in the women’s 100-meter hurdles (14.35).
Franklin Catera wound up 10th in the men’s high jump with a leap of 1.90 meters, Pi Durden Forward Wangkay reached the semifinals and placed 14th in the men’s 100-meter run, while John Clinton Abetong placed 16th overall in the men’s 400-meter race with a time of 50.88 seconds.
Some, if not all, of the six athletes are expected to compete in the Under-18 division of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships scheduled May 1 to 4 at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac, according to Patafa secretary general Jasper Tanhueco.
