THAILAND BOUND. Filipino-American Eric Cray (center) rules the 400m hurdles for the sixth straight time in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 11, 2023. Cray will join the Asian Championships in Pattaya, Thailand next month. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) announced on Monday the line-up for the Asian Championships scheduled from July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand.
Cambodia Southeast Asian (SEA) Games champion Ernest John "EJ" Obiena, who recently joined the elite six-meter club of pole vaulters, will banner the team that includes Fil-American Eric Cray who won the men’s 400m run in the same Games.
Other members of the team are Umajesty Williams (men's 400m and 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m), Michael Carlo del Prado (men's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m), Frederick Ramirez (men's 400m and 4x400m), Joyme Sequita (men's 4x400m), Maureen Schrijvers (women's 400m and 4x400m), Robyn Brown (women's 400m Hurdles and 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m), Bernalyn Bejoy (women's 800m and 4x400m), Jessel Lumapas ( women's 4x400m and mixed 4x400m), Sonny Wagdos (men's 5000m and 10,000m), John Cabang Tolentino (men's 110m Hurdles), Clinton Bautista (men's 110m Hurdles), Janry Ubas (men's long jump), William Morrison (men's shot put), Aries Toledo (men's decathlon), Johnmike Lera (men's decathlon), Arlan Arbois (men's 10000m), Gennah Malapit (women's javelin throw), Joida Gagnao (women's 3000m steeplechase), Ronne Malipay (men's triple jump), Sarah Dequinan (women's heptathlon) and Kristina Knott (women's 100m and 200m).
Coaches Jojo Posadas, Sean Guevara, Dario de Rosas, Danilo Fresnido, Eduardo Buenavista, Emerson Obiena, Isidro del Prado, Martin Dela Fuente (Spanish coach of Cabang), Samantha Cray (wife-coach of Eric) and Vitaly Petrov (Ukranian coach of EJ) will accompany the athletes.
Also joining the trip are PATAFA President Agapito Capistrano, Executive Vice President Guillermo Torres and Secretary General Edward Kho, national training director Renato Unso and Jasper Tanhueco, who will serve as team manager.
Aside from Obiena and Cray, the other Cambodia SEA Games medalists in the team are Ubas (gold, long jump; silver, decathlon); Ramirez (bronze, 400m); Del Prado, Ramirez, Sequita and Williams (gold, men's 4x400m relay); Arbois (silver, marathon); Williams (silver, 400m); Wagdos (1500m); Gagnao (3000m steeplechase); Brown (400m); Malipay (silver, triple jump); Dequinan (hepthatlon); Malapit (silver, javelin throw); Bejoy, Brown, Lumapas and Schrijvers (silver, 4x400m relay); Brown, Lumapas, Ramirez and Williams (bronze, mixed 4x400m relay); Toledo (bronze, decathlon); and Tolentino (bronze, 110m hurdles).
The Asian Championships is part of the national team's preparation for the Asian Games slated Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou, China. (PNA)
