POOLED REPORT FROM PSA
NAY PYI TAW — With regional heavyweights making their presence felt, Filipino track and field athletes failed to come up with significant result in the second day of athletics competition of the 27th Southeast Asian Games.
Heptathlete Narcisa Atienza and long-distance runner Eric Panique fell short, finishing with only a silver and a bronze medal in their respective competitions late Monday at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium here.
A jumping and throwing specialist, Atienza tallied 5,241 points at the conclusion of the seven-event contest to clich the silver medal, bowing to reigning champion Wassana Winatho of Thailand, who finished with a commanding 5,556 points in women’s heptathlon.
“Malakas talaga yung Thai na nakalaban nya. She’s good enough for the Asian level. At sa kanya din natalo si Narcisa nung huling SEA Games sa Indonesia,” said track and field coach Joseph Sy.
“Mahina kasi si Narcisa sa speed kaya hindi nya matalo-talo yung Thai na yun. I guess yun ang kailangan nyang pagbutihin para finally matalo na nya yun sa susunod na SEA Games.”
And like Atienza, Panique also suffered the same fate as he fell prey to a more seasoned runner from Singapore in Ying Ren Mok, who finished with two hours, 28 minutes and 36 seconds, and Thaung Aye of Myanmar, who registered 2:29:50, in men’s marathon.
Panique, who suffered cramps in the last five-kilometers, crossed the finish line after 2:30:30 to settle for the bronze medal.
“That Singaporean even went to Japan to train for this SEA Games,” said Sy. “That’s why I was not surprised with the outcome. Eric lost to a better, more prepared runner.”
On the same note, Lorelie Sermona and Ernest John Obiena also came up empty-handed.
Sermona fnished in the fourth spot after tallying a hurl of 50.26 meters in women’s hammer throw while Obiena also finished fourth after failing to clear the 5m bar in men’s pole vault.
