PHNOM PENH. – The Philippine athletics failed to match its five-gold medal haul in Vietnam last year but still had a successful campaign with four golds and two new Southeast Asian Games records, according to national team coach Jojo Posadas.
Led by the record-smashing campaign of Ernest John Obiena in pole vault and Janry Ubas in long jump, the Philippines finished with a 4-10-8 gold-silver-bronze harvest in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here, a gold less but a silver medal better than in Vietnam last year.
“It still is a successful campaign for the Philippines in terms of quality; we have two games records broken here,” said Posadas during the last day of athletics action at the Morodok Tech National Stadium.
Obiena smashed his own pole vault mark of 5.46 meters with a new games record of 5.65 in a wet and wild showcase at the rain-drenched stadium.
Ubas secured the long jump gold, his first-ever in the games since debuting for the national team in the 2015 Singapore edition, with a 7.85 jump.
He crushed the games’ mark with an 8.08 that he achieved in the decathlon, where he also won a silver medal.
Eric Cray bolstered his status as the country’s best male track athlete, winning sixth straight gold in the 200 meters hurdles with a 50.03 clocking, while the 4×400 team of Michael del Prado, Frederick Ramirez, Joyme Sequita and Umajesty Williams clinched athletics’ final gold with a clocking of 3:07.22.
“You have also to look at the SEA Games in terms of the future. I think we have one in javelin,” said Posadas, referring to silver medalist Gennah Malapit. “She’s the future.”
“Time will come, kapag nabigyan ito ng magandang break, ma-expose, ‘yung high-level training program, mamo-motivate ito tiyak,” added Posadas of the 16-year-old Palarong Pambansa standout, who bettered her own Palaro mark of 45.5 to 49.55.
