It was a day for the younger set as the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, held Week 2 of the Patafa Weekly Relay Series last Sunday at the Philsports Complex in Pasig.
Two divisions were in the spotlight in the day’s events: under 20 and under 18 years old.
Pete Brooks of Get Coach’D Academy took the opportunity to bring 17 of his young athletes to the event. Brooks mentioned, “We mainly focus on the triathlon, but we find the Weekly Relay Series a perfect venue to get our team used to the competitive scene.”
The youngest participant so far in the weekly event sponsored by the PSC, CEL Logistics, Cignal TV, Milo, Wireless Inc., Dr. J Alcohol, Casio G-Shock, Cellife Cellular Nutrition, Masiv Sports, Pencer Q and Silver Bullet Productions, is 10-year-old Zach Cheng who, at his age, was just “enjoying” the meet in preparation for his participation in triathlon events.
“Basically the key intent of Patafa is to provide an avenue for young aspiring athletes to hone their skills and be exposed to the atmosphere of competition without much pressure,” Patafa secretary-general Edward Kho said.
Patafa president Terry Capistrano added: “This is our way of bringing track and field events closer to the grassroots and back in the local spotlight after the pandemic that struck worldwide.”
