DESPITE the challenges posed by the pandemic, athletics chief Philip Ella Juico was proud of how the national track and field campaigners fared in retaining third overall in the discipline at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi last week.
“I told our athletes in our online meeting last Friday that we are so very proud of them. We could not ask for more,” said Juico yesterday after Pinoy bets garnered five golds, seven silvers and 14 bronzes in the five-day meet.
Just like in many other disciplines, host Vietnam emerged on top of the heap (22-14-8), while Thailand took runner-up honors (12-11-8).
Delivering the golds were pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, shot put thrower Willie Morrison III, sprinter Kayla Richardson, men’s 400-meter hurdles king Eric Shawn Cray and Clinton Kingsley Bautista, who overcame bad shin injury to retain his men’s 110-meter title in record-breaking fashion.
This was below the haul of 11 gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals Filipino athletes reaped when also finished third in the track meet of the 2019 Philippine Games at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac but Juico couldn’t ask for more.
