Vence, Martes lead cast in RP Track Open

Roy Vence and Christabel Martes, their spirit bouyed by the welcome news of the inclusion of marathon in the coming Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, will help banner the local campaign in the Milo National Open and International Invitationals starting tomorrow at the Rizal Memorial track oval.

The duo, who will defend their titles in the SEA Games in December, are expected to flex their muscles in their favorite events along with more than 2,000 other local and foreign participants in the meet.

"It gave us a new hope," said the 36-year-old Vence, also a champion in the prestigious Milo and PAL marathon. "We will try to catch up with the training with just a few months left."

After Vietnam decided to scrap the marathon events, Vence and Martes were forced to train for the shorter 10,000m but their coach Mario Castro said they will again be conditioned for the 42.125km event.

They just arrived in Manila to compete in the National Open after training for months at Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City.

The postponement of the Palarong Pambansa in Tubod, Lanao del Norte from May 4-11 to May 11-18 also resulted to a huge field in the juniors division of this PSC-supported event.

This gives the organizing Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association a big opportunity to pinpoint exceptional young talents for advanced training in preparation to joining the national team.

The RP Team, on the other hand, gets to test SEA Games athletics power Thailand even as Vence and Martes get to display how ready they are to defend their titles in Hanoi.

The Philippines lobbied hard for the inclusion with PATAFA chief Go Teng Kok getting big help from Asian Athletics Association president S. Kalmadi of India, sec-gen Maurice Nicolas of Singapore and Malaysian Olympic Committee sec-gen. DatuSiek Kok Chi.

Martes, however, is coming off a pulled hamstring injury and may not be as fit as before, allowing some locals to crowd her in her favorite event.

The Milo National Open which will showcase 642 athletes from the province and 461 from Metro Manila while tracksters from Sabah, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have confirmed their participation.

PSC chair Eric Buhain will give the keynote speech in the opening ceremony of the event, which is the first of three international events lined up by the PATAFA this year.

The fourth and final leg of the cash-rich Asian Grand Prix will be staged on June 13 while the prestigious Asian Championships will be held on Sept. 20-23 also at the RMSC.