Elma pursues RP team bid, joins tryouts

Elma Muros-Posadas’ fling with the Southeast Asian Games is not yet over.

The 38-year-old veteran trackster made known her desire to take part in the 23rd edition of the biennial meet the country is hosting on Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 by joining the coming 2005 athletics national tryouts.

The Oct. 9 trials to be conducted by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) is a pre-qualifying SEA Games event.

Muros-Posadas, owner of 15 SEA Games gold medals from 1983 to 2001 as the region’s undisputed long jump and heptathlon queen, is set to compete in the relay events.

"I haven’t stop training and I still have the fresh legs. So I’m determined to vie for the SEA Games once more," said Muros-Posadas, one of the 12 sports ambassadors chosen for the meet, during her appearance in DZMM radio program Sports Talk, hosted by former senator Freddie Webb over the weekend.

"I can still submit a time of 1:04 in the 400-meter hurdles, which is good in the top four of the SEA Games. That would be a big advantage for the relay events, too," added the RP sports heroine who snared bronze medals in the 1990 Beijing and 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.

Asked about her physical condition, the longest active local runner assured that she’s in top shape and has no injury whatsoever.

Aside from her willingness to represent the country again in the region’s biggest sports spectacle, Elma, along with husband and personal coach Jojo Posadas, said she intends to support the Filipino athletes’ bid to win the SEA Games overall title for the first time ever.

Sacrifice, dedication and hard training, they said, are the major factors for the local athletes to accomplish their mission. The couple also asked the help of the Filipino people to support Team Philippines in its campaign in the coming biennial meet.

"We have a good advantage here because of the crowd and the venues. All I’m asking is for our countrymen to cheer and support our athletes," she said.