Triathletes hone up for Asian tilts

MANILA, Philippines - Triathletes Lea Coline Langit, Kim Mangrobang and Neil Catiil will undergo extensive training program in their buildup for this year’s Asian Games and the Asian Beach Games.

Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco yesterday said that the three will be sent to different triathlon capitals to compete against the best triathletes in the world and hone up for the two big events lined up this year.

Langit is set to compete in New Zealand and will be training under an Australian coach Rob Piccard, while the 18-year-old Mangrobang is scheduled to attend the International Triathlon Union training camp in Hungary and vie in top-level tournaments in Asia.

Catiil, on the other hand, will leave for Phuket, Thailand to compete while a training program in Japan and Korea is being worked out. He also earned a training stint in Switzerland under Brett Sutton and national mentor Melvin Fausto.

“These international exposures will take effect next month,” said Carrasco during the Scoop session at Kamayan in Padre Faura. He added that the three triathletes will start receiving their monthly stipend of P15,000 as promised by Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping.

Carrasco picked Langit, who saw action in the 2006 Doha Asian Games where she ended up 11th, as the country’s top hope for a medal.

Carrasco said the PSC will shoulder half of the athletes’ training expenses with the other half to be provided by Sunkist and Vitwater, both products of RFM Corp.

 “We have also formed our training pool pursuant to the directive of the Philippine Olympic Committee,” Carrasco said. “By Monday, members of the pool will start getting their P15,000 monthly allowances.”