Fil-Ams face acid test as RP trackfest begins

Just how tough these Fil-American athletes are will be known starting today when the National Open Track and Field Championships, which also features athletes from other Asian countries, fires off at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Six of the seven Fil-Am athletes who came in from Los Angeles, California last week will get their baptism of fire with each one of them hoping to put up a performance that could earn them slots to the national team.

The Fil-Ams seeing action are Gary Cablayan (100m dash and 400m hurdles), Kashus Perona (200 and 400m), Rose Supangan (10,000m), Jenny Buncio (5,000 and 10,000m), Breanne Bumanlag (100 and 200m) and Krizia Apelar (girls’ 200 and 400m).

Among them, only Supangan and Buncio will actually vie for one of the 15 gold medals at stake today since the rest are only running in heats. The seventh Fil-Am, pole-vaulter Deborah Samson, won’t see action until tomorrow.

"Magkaka-alaman bukas (We’ll see what happens)," said Claro Bellosis, a two-time Olympian (1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Games) now working for the Philippine Track and Field Association.

A former relay runner, the 69-year-old Bellosis said the country’s top athletes, led by long-distance runner Eduardo Buenavista and long jump specialist Lerma Bulauitan, will have to take Fil-Ams’ presence as a challenge.

"They should realize that these Fil-Ams are here not just to compete but seek slots in the national team. Like me, the locals should have no problem with that as long as these Fil-Ams truly have Filipino blood in them," he said.

While they’ll have one eye glued on the Fil-Ams, the locals will have the other one focused on the foreign runners from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Macau. Close to 1,000 athletes will see action until Friday.

"Mabuti naman kung mahigpit ang laban dahil may magtutulak sa amin," said Ernie Candelario, also a SEA Games champion who will be joined by Arnel Ferrera, Danny Fresnido, Jobert Delicano and Christabel Martes in the local fold.

Buenavista will see action in two events where he’s the national record holder—the 5,000m (13:58) and the 10,000m (29:02) before he proceeds to Indonesia to see action in the Bali Marathon on June 20.

"Susubukan ko lang ma-improve ang national records ko sa dalawang events," said Buenavista before he goes deep into training for the Athens Olympics in August were he will vie in the marathon event where he has a personal best of two hours 18 minutes.