By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Pole vault superstar EJ Obiena will spearhead the Philippine athletics team that will see action in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships scheduled on Feb. 10 to 12 in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Obiena is once again expected to stamp his class in the event while the 16 other members of the team, including Olympian sprinters Eric Cray and Kristina Knott will have to perform extra ordinarily if they are to secure a podium finish.
Also part of the crew are Southeast Asian Games shot put champion William Morrison, pole vaulter Natalie Uy and long jumper Janry Ubas, Leonard Gorospe (high jump), Mark Harry Diones (triple jump), Mariano Masano (800 meters), John Cabang (men’s 60m hurdles), Jelly Paragile and Melissa Escoton (women’s 60m hurdles), Sarah Dequinan and Alexei Caimoso (pentathlon), Michael Del Prado (men’s 400m) and Hokett Delos Santos (pole vault).
Edward Giron will join Cray, Masano and Del Prado in the 4x400m relay.
PATAFA secretary general Edward Kho said the event is expected to test whether they are ready for three important events – the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May, the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September, and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand in November.
The PH athletics team won five gold, seven silver and 14 bronze medals at the previous SEAG in Vietnam, while also hoping to make it to the medal podium at the Asian Games for the first time since Elma Muros won in the 1994 edition in Japan.
