Philippine to compete in Kazakhstan

The Philippine athletics contingent, headed by world No.3 pole-vaulter E.J Obiena, will compete in the 10th Asian Indoor Athletics Championship set February 10-12  in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan. Also competing are Fil-Americans Kristina Knott (women’s 60 meter), Natalie Uy (women’s pole vault), Eric Shaun Cray (men’s 60m and 400m), William Morrison 111 (men’s shot put) and locals Mark Harry Diones (men’s triple jump), Hockett Delos Santos (men’s pole vault), Leonard Grospe (men’s high jump) Janry Ubas (men’s long jump and heptathlon). John Cabang (men’s 60m hurdles), Mariano Masano and Edwin Giron (men’s 800m Michael Carlo Del Prado) (men’s 400m), Jelly Dianne Paragili and Melissa Escoton (women’s 60m hurdles and Alexie Mae Caimoso and Sarah Dequinian)  (women’s pentathlon). Cray,Giron, Del Pradi and Masano will compete in the 4x400m relay event. The National team is likewise gearing up for 3 major tournaments this year, the SEA Games in Cambodia (May 5-17), Asian Games in Hangzhou, China (Sept. 23-Oct. 8) and Indoor Martial Arts Games in Bangkok, Chonburi, Thailand ( Nov 17-26). The team competed in the Thailand Open last month, winning 5 golds, 6 silver and 4 bronze medals.  The gold medal winners were Masano (800m),  Dequinan (heptathlon), Del Prado, Edgar Alejan, Jayme Sequita and Francis Medina (4x400m relay), John Mantosa (men’s shot put) and Alfrence Braza (men’s 1500m).  In the last Hanoi SAE Games, the Phiippines finished third in athletics with 5 golds, 7 silver and 14 bronze medals.  The gold medalist were Fil-Ams Cray (400m) Kayla Richardson, (100m) and Morrisom (shot put), Obiena (pole vault), and Clinton Bautista (110hurdles).

Posadas named National Coach

My  “kasimanwa” George “Jojo” Posadas, husband of track and  field legend Elma Muros, has been appointed Athletics head coach by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field (PATAFA). Posadas has been sprints and jumps coach since 1990 and has produced topnotch athletes.  The 60-year old Posadas also won several titles in collegiate tournaments with 23, 17  in the UAAP and 6 in the NCAA. While coaching in FEU, he won 12 crowns.  In the NCAA, he led the Jose Rizal University to 6 men’s titles working in tandemmwith Elma. The other members of the coaching staff are  Dario De Rosas and Sean Guevarra (multi-event), Emerson Obiena (pole-vault) Joebert Delicano (jumps) Arniel Ferrera (shot put,discus and hammer throw), Danilo Fresnido (javelin), John Lozada (middle distance) and Vertek Buenavista (long distance) with Renato Unso as PATAFA training director.

Hasta la vista Ely

Another  media joined his creator last Saturday morning.  Elyas (Ely) Bacquero 64, succumbed to a heart Attack.  I couldn’t believe Ely is gone as he seems healthy and didn’t show signs of ill-health.  Hasta La Vista Ely.  Rest In Paradise (R.I.P).

Lisa Marie Presley

A day before Ely wen to the Great Beyond, I was shocked when news that Elvis’ only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley 54, suffered a heart attack and died later. Well, Lisa Marie looked frail and sick when  they celebrated Elvis’ 88th birthday in Graceland.  Lisa was last seen on Tuesday when she attended with her mother Priscilla, the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles where Austin Butler won in the biopic “Elvis”.  In 2020, Lisa’s son Benjamin Keough died by suicide at age 27.  She was previously married to Danny Keough, Nicolas Cage, Michael Jackson and Michael Lockwood. Hasta La Vista Lisa Marie!

Jeff Beck (78)

One of the world’s greatest guitarists died on January 10, 2023 of bacterial meningitis. In 1965, he joined the Yardbirds to replace another great, Eric Clapton.  He is known as a “guitarist’s guitarist” and was part of the British Invasion bannered by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.