Over 1,000 athletes, including 104 from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong and Korea, are seeing action in various events in the three-day competitions serving as the centerpiece event of ongoing first Philippine Olympic Festival.
The local government of Nueva Ecija, headed by Gov. Tomas Joson III, is hosting the event, staged at the sprawling 60-hectare state-of-the-art sports complex.
Sixteen gold medals are at stake in the first day of competitions.
2005 Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Henry Dagmil, Arniel Ferrera, Rene Herrera, Ernie Candelario, Jimar Aing, Danilo Fresnido, Marestella Torres, Mercidita Manipol, and Cristabel Martes head the local contingent that includes veteran internationalists Eduardo Buenavista and Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito.
Events on tap in four divisions (men’s, women’s, junior boys’, and junior girls’) are 100-meter dash; the 200-m, 400-m, 800-m, 1,500-m, 3,000-m, 5,000-m, and 10,000-m runs; the 100-m, 110-m (high), and 400-m hurdles; the 10,000-m and 20,000-m walks; heptathlon, decathlon, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, hammer throw, and the 4 x 100-m and 4 x 400-m relays.
The Philippine Air Force-Far Eastern U team will be defending the men’s title while Philippine Navy squad will likewise tries to extend its domination in the distaff side.
Laguna-PATAFA and FEU are the defending champions in the boys’ and girls’ classes, respectively.
Aside from athletics, there are 27 other sports being held in various venues to commemorate the founding anniversary of the World Olympic Movement and the International Olympic Committee.
In golf, Wolen Superal carded a two-over 74 and gain a share of the lead with Gary Sales at the start of the first POC Festival golf tournament at Villamor.
The 13-year-old Superal, a Junior World champion, made his presence felt early as he birdied the first two holes for a 34 although he faltered coming home with a double-bogey marred 40 for that 74.
Sales, on the other hand, closed out with back-to-back birdies to save a 38-36 round as the Villamor bet braced for a final round shootout with Superal in the centerpiece Class A division (0-9) at the close of the 36-hole tournament serving as part of the celebration of the inaugural staging of POC Olympic Festival.
Michael Bibat, the former Singapore Amateur Open champion, failed to recover from a triple-bogey start after he drove out of bounds and spent the day groping for form. He wound up with a 40-40 for an 80, six strokes adrift.
Superal and Bibat are two of the more the 20 players under the national pool handled by RP team coach Bong Lopez and sponsored by sports patron Ricky Razon of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).
Gino Bunyi, another jungolfer, shot an 81 for a share of fourth place with Joel Pilac in the tournament conducted by the National Golf Association of the Phils.
Jun Lambino shot an 80 for a net 70 to post a six-shot lead over Arnel Romero, who made an 88 for a net 76 in Class B (10-18), while Edwin Galindez made a 96 for a net 66 for a 10-shot lead over Jun Galindez III, who had a 110 for a net 76 in Class C (19-above).
Crystal Superal, firing a 75, was unopposed in the ladies category. Dan Samson had an 85 for a net 59 in the senior class. Ismael Abad had a 79 for a net 71 while Nap Tan made a 94 for a net 73.