PH track and field team sasabak sa Japan

MAGPAPADALA ang Pilipinas ng 13 players sa 66th Tokai Athletics Championship na nakatakdang magsimula sa Agosto 26-27 sa Fukuroi, Japan.

Pangungunahan ni Cambodia SEA games long jump champion Janry Ubas ang team na binobou nina Anfernee Lopeña (men’s 100m); Umajesty Williams, Frederick Ramirez, Michael del Prado and Joyme Sequita (men’s 400m); Clinton Bautista (men’s 110m Hurdles); John Paul Sarmiento (men’s javelin throw); Ronne Malipay (men’s triple jump); Junel Gobotia (men’s 3,000m steeplechase); Jessel Lumapas (women’s 400m); Bernalyn Bejoy (women’s 800m); at Sarah Dequinan (women’s 100m Hurdles, long jump, high jump at javelin throw).

Williams,Del Prado, Sequita at Ramirez ay lumahok rin sa 4×400 relay event.

Kasama sa biyahe ang coaches Jeoffrey Chua,Isidro del Prado at Dario de Rosas.

Sa 13 athletes, apat ang pupunta sa Asian Games na nakatakda sa Setyembre 23 hanggang Oktubre 8 sa Hangzhou,China.

“The Japan tournament is in the list of exposures for the Asian Games-bound athletes as well as other members of the national team,” Wika ni head coach Jojo Posadas sa Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Ubas, may personal best na 8.08 meters, mula sa back-to-back victories sa Europe.

“I’m expecting to improve my personal best and to make the podium,” Sambit ng the 29-year-old native of Villanueva, Misamis Oriental province.

Nagtagumpay si Ubas sa Motonet Grand Prix sa Lappeenranta, Finland sa 7.86 meters. Ang kanyang gold medal performance sa Cambodia nakaraang Mayo ay 7.85m.

Sa Italy, nagrehistro siya ng 7.72m para matalo ang 2018 Summer Youth Olympics champion Lester Alcides Lescay Gay ng Cuba sa 16th Triveneto Meeting International sa Trieste.

Bago lumipad patungong Europe, naging seventh place sa 25th Asian Athletics Championship sa Bangkok,Thailand kung saan nagsumitte ng 7.98m. Nagwagi ng silver medal (7.95m) sa Taiwan Open nakaraang Mayo 28.