Fil-Am track hopefuls to vie in National invitational

MANILA, Philippines - A crack roster of Fil-Am prospects will be coming over to show their stuff in the 2016 Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) National Open invitational set April 7-9 at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig.

According to Patafa president Philip Ella Juico, the young Fil-Ams have contacted him to signify their desire to compete in the three-day event as part of their bid to join the national team.

“As members of the national team they will have a shot at competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics and succeeding competitions like the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia, the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines and the 2020 Olympics in Japan,” said Juico.

Fil-Moroccan brothers Yacine and Said Guermali, and Fil-Ams Brandon Thomas and Trenten Beram will headline the cast of Pinoys from overseas. They will be joined by bets from Malaysia, who will also compete in the Open, per notification from Malaysia association president Karim Ibrahim.

Yacine and Said are the sons of distance coach Adam Guermali of Morocco, who trained under the legendary Said Aouita.

Yacine, 16, carries times of 1:56 in the 800 meters, 4:12 in a mile, 9:18 in the two-mile, and 8:40 in the 3,000-m, considered the second fastest time in the youth division of the US.

Nineteen-year-old Said, for his part, clocks 48 seconds in the 400-m, 1:50 in the 800-m, and 4:08 in the mile event. Said was named athlete of the year in 2015 by The Columbian, the school paper of his high school, Columbia River High in Vancouver, Washington. He is now a freshman at University of Portland.

Thomas, the training partner of Rio Olympics-bound hurdler Eric Cray in Texas, is making his second stint in the National Open. According to coach Davian Clarke, Thomas can run a time good enough time to qualify for the seventh Asian Indoor Championships in Qatar and possibly the World Indoors. Thomas aims to meet the Olympics qualifying standard of 10.30 seconds in the century dash.

Beram, 19, has a personal best of 21.09 seconds in the 200-m, according to his coach at University of Connecticut Gregory Roy. The youngster who traces his roots to Cebu eyes the 20.50 second Olympic-qualifying mark.

“Hopes are high that the Philippines, with its formidable squad of young and experienced home grown and overseas-trained athletes, will spring surprises in international competitions that Patafa will join,” said Juico.