SEA GAMES PREVIEW: Athletics and Norman Black at SCOOP
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 07 Feb 2011
A maximum of eight gold medals, one more than its predecessor?s seven harvest two years ago in Laos, will be the Philippine athletics team?s target to bring home in the coming 26th Southeast Asian Games this November in Indonesia .
Head coach Joseph Sy, the architect of that PHI?s seven-gold medal performance in 2009, said in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan that long jumper Maristela Torres, steeplechaser Rene Herera, marathoner Eduardo Buenavista and Javelin thrower Rosie Villarito are cinch to repeat this year in the forefront of the Filipino athletes? campaign.
Three other gold winners ? hammer thrower Arnel Ferrera, lady marathoner Joan Banayag and men?s javelin thrower Danilo Fresnido ? will have to work extensively in their training from now until the time of competitions to keep their winning ways going.
?This because there are not a few new faces, especially from Thailand, who are capable of unseating them,? Sy explained during the forum, sponsored by Coca Cola, TV-5, Mang Inasal and FILA, and held at the kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
Sy clarified though that given the right training and international exposure, Ferrera and company can still be unbeatable in their respective events.
?And even if one or two of them fail, we still have somewhere to look forward to make up for that,? Sy said, citing men?s long jump aces Henry Dagmil and Jobert Delicano as most-likely to fill in the shoes of those who might falter.
?Both Henry and Jobert are capable of bringing home the gold medal in their event, so that I am counting long jump already as cinch along with those I mentioned,? the PHI team?s head mentor said.
An injury suffered during competitions in Laos hampered Dagmil?s performance in Laos where he was the defending champion, according to Sy.
As for Banayag, Sy said the suspension slapped on the runner will soon be lifted in March to allow her to concentrate more in her training. PATAFA rewident Go Teng Kok meted out the suspension on Banayag last year for running in a race without prior notice.
?It was Mr. Go himself, who signified that Joan?s suspension be lifted,? Sy said.
Another campaigner Sy mentioned is hurdler Sheera Atilano, heptathlete Narcisa Atienza and decathlete Arnold Villarube as can also be relied upon to bring home the bacon.
A number of international competitions have been lined up by the Philippine amateur Track and Field Association as avenue to hone the national athletes? skills, according to Sy. Among them are the Asian Athletics Association championships in July in Japan , the World Athletics in October in Korea and the World Youth.
?This is besides the tough local competitions the athletes can use as part of their regime, like the Interclub, the National Open and the regular weekly relay PATAFA has in its annual calendar of events,? Sy said.
?In fact, we will be entering the national athletes in all those competitions if only to serve notice that we will be leaving no stone unturned if only to ensure that our athletes will be well-prepared when competitions comes,? he said.
NORMAN BLACK AT SCOOP
Saying he does not want the Philippine basketball team to lose the Southeast Asian Games crown under his watch, national coach Norman Black has assured he will form the best possible team for the t 26th edition of the quadrennial meet this November in Indonesia.
?I know that we?ve dominated this tournament since the beginning but at the same time, I want to make sure that we don?t lose under my watch,? said Black in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly forum at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
Since the country was accepted into the SEA Games fold in 1977, the Philippines took the basketball diadem in all but one edition. Only in the 1989 in Kuala Lumpur did the Filipinos came home without bringing the gold-minted medal.
They regained the title in th4e 1991 ?Manila Miracle of ?91? and have been successful since then except in 2005, also in Manila and in 2009 in Laos when basketball was not held.
Basketball is making a return to the SEA Games after it was not included in the 2009 edition of the games in Laos due to the absence of a basketball gym. The sport was also not part of the calendar in 2005 when the country hosted the games due to the FIBA suspension.
?I?ll make sure that the team is well-trained and team members understand and know the system,? Black said during the session, sponsored by Coca Cola, TV-5, Mang Inasal and FILA.
Black though acknowledged that Southeast Asian basketball has improved especially with the inception of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).
?You can never really take the competition for granted especially now that we have an ABL. They are now exposed to better basketball and the other countries are improving their basketball program,? he said.
Black began the first of a series of tryouts for a PHL team to the SEA Games last January 29 where among those who attended are Smart Gilas standouts Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter and Aldrech Ramos and UAAP MVP RR Garcia of Far Eastern University and San Sebastian?s Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang.
Black wants to form a running team for the SEA Games and intends to create a 16-man pool that would know the system by summer right before the collegiate season.
?When the collegiate league starts, we will probably be meeting once a week so it?s important that they understand the system. I want to teach the system so that if we go back in October, they will be familiar with the system,? Black said.
Black said that Filipino-American Chris Newsome will also attend the tryouts for the SEA Games in May. Newsome is a 6-2 guard from New Mexico whose father is an African-American and a Filipina mother who is expected to play with Ateneo after he finishes his residency.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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