RP tracksters cop 2 more golds

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – Two more golds and one bronze.

John Lozada and Joebert Delicano won each one more gold and Raphie Pilaspilas complimented with a bronze Wednesday to highlight the Philippine campaign in the Vietnam international track and field championship.

Lozada ruled the 1,500 m and Delicano dominated triple jump in similar easy fashion to emerge the winningest athletes in the seven track and field delegation sent by PATAFA president Go Teng Kok in the five-nation competition held at Thong Nhat stadium in Ho Chi Minh City.

Philippines finished the three-day trackfest which featured 300 athletes from five countries with eight golds, one silver and one bronze.

Korea, which sent 14 athletes, won five golds, one silver and one bonze, while Malaysia with 19 athletes, most of them juniors, got two golds, five silvers and seven bronzes. Cambodia did not win a single medal.

Lozada negotiated the 1,500 m in 3:57.64 to duplicate his two golds performance in Thailand last May where he ruled the 800 m and 1,500 m events. The 28-year-old prize catch from Iloilo, the most experienced in the seven track delegation with numerous international tournaments to his credit, dominated the race right from the starting gun to claim his second gold since topping the 800 m on the second day.

Though he won his second gold, Lozada, however, was satisfied with his time. "I could have better my time if the opposition was tough," said Lozada, whose best time in 1,500 m is 3:50.44.

Local bet Do Duy Buc, the 20-year-old from the province of An Griang south of Vietnam, got the silver in 3:60.64, while his compatriot Phan Quoc Vie took the bronze in 4:06.35.

Like Lozada, Delicano also found the opposition easy in claiming his second gold in triple jump since ruling the long jump on the day where the Philippines won six golds. His golden leap was measured 15.00m, still below his personal best 15.55 meters.

Raphie Pilaspilas missed the silver and satisfied himself with bronze in 14.64 meters. Shahrul Amri Mohd Suhain, a 19-year-old native of Kedah province near the border of Thailand and veteran of the recent Arafura Games in Australia, took the silver in 14.68 meters.