Athletics chief Go Teng Kok yesterday said 15 athletes will start training early this month for the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea in October 2002. The other half will train for the 2003 SEAG in Vietnam.
While Buenavista heads the Asian Games-bound RP team, Go named reigning SEAG heptathlete champion Elma Muros-Posadas as one of the Vietnam-bound athletes.
"Buenavista is a strong gold medal potential for RP in the Asian Games," said Go. "Elma, on the other hand, is not yet officially retired so she is still part of the team that will compete in Vietnam in 2003," added Go, whose sport was the biggest medal earner with eight gold, 11 silver and four bronze medals in the last SEAG.
Go said he has picked Muros-Posadas, who openly announced earlier her retirement, to lead the 2003 team bcause of her gold medal performance in women’s heptathlon although he stressed that PATAFA may field younger athletes in the long jump, her favorite event.
The 34-year-old Muros-Posadas, who had compiled a total of 14 SEAG gold medals, finished only fourth in the long jump which she dominated for a record eight times before she lost to a Vietnamese in the 2001 SEAG in Malaysia. Tapped to succeed her is Lerma Bulauitan, the event’s silver medalist in Malaysia.
Also on the training pool for the Asian Games are SEAG gold medal winners John Lozada, Ernie Candelario, Roy Vence, Christabel Martes and Fidel Gallenero, and silver medalists Joebert Delicano, Sean Guevarra, Bulauitan, Narcissa Atienza, Dandy Gallero, Geralyn Amandoron and 4x400 bets Jimar Aying, Ronnie Marfil and Rodrigo San Juan Jr.
Next to Elma, the other athletes mentioned by Go for Vietnam are Allan Ballester, Daud Mama, Percela Molina, Raphie Pilaspilas, Henry Dagmil, Marestela Torres, Domingo Manata, Roselyn Hamero, Roberto Fresnido, Nixon Mas, Crisanto Canillo Jr., Arneil Ferrera, Jerro Perater and Emerson Obiena.
All of them were selected by national team coaches Alex Ligtas, Romeo Gido, Mario Castro, Joseph Sy and Jojo Posadas.
"This is a team of high potential and identifying them this early would give us a better opportunity to win more medals in both the 2002 Asian Games and the 2003 SEAG," said Go, who also vowed more international exposure for the team members.