By Edwin Rollon
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – The Philippines failed to corner the centerpiece events in athletics as foreign athletes showed dominance in the field on Monday at the start of the 11th BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asian Growth Areas) Friendship Games at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex here.
Unlike in swimming, where Filipinos performed well against their foreign counterparts, the Filipino tracksters came up short of impressing the crowd at the track oval field named after the late former House Speaker and one of the province's noted philanthropists.
Malaysian Rizkah Abdullah and Ariel Hairuddin Muhammad of Indonesia were crowned at the Games ‘Sprint Queen and King’ respectively beating their local rivals in the 100m main attraction in the five-day meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission under Chairman Richard ‘Dickie’ Bachmann and hosted by Puerto Princesa City government headed by Mayor Lucilo Bayron.
Abdullah claimed the title via hairline as she timed 12.84 seconds, just one-tenth of a second to silver medalist Hazel Jean Guibone of Philippine Team-A (12.85). Indonesian Nurin Angraeni Sulkarnaing finished third at 12.89.
Meantime, Muhammad registered the only under 11 seconds performance in the men’s side clocking 10.89 against Malaysian Mukhriz Ameer Abdul Rauz (11.03) and Jully Molinos of Philippine Team-A (11.18).
Milchay Moreno gave the local crowd something to cheer up as the shy senior high student burst into tears as she emotionally waved the audience at the finish line after winning the women’s 400m run clocking 1:00.41 against Malaysian Shakira Natasyah (1:02.44) and Philippines’ Grace Wenceslao (1:02.77).
“Sobrang saya ko po talaga, tears of joy. Sa training naming iniisip ko na na mailangang kong manalo at magbigay ng karangalan sa bansa,” said the 17-year old pride of Calinan National High School.
In the men’s 400m men, Jan Gilbert Bayang failed to follow Moreno’s feat as he settled for bronze (52.09) behind winner Idwin Idris of Malaysia Team-B (50.61) and Muhammad Darius Salam of Malaysia Team-B (51,34).
Jhonmark Sedoripa won the men’s shot put with a heave of 13.72m, beating Victer Bihindik of Malaysia B (13.97 m) and Kristian Munoz (11.72m).
The Philippine Team-A swept the men’s discus throw with Berdard Ganancial getting the gold at 33.95 meters followed by Jhonmark Sedoripa (33.14m) and Lunasco Alabado (32.58m). In the shot put, the Filipinos came up short of the top podium finish with PH Team D’s Alicia Tricia Badajos (9.53m) and Team A’s Jerlyn Grace Crismundo (9.25m) settling for second and third place as Malaysia’s Daniella Jimil (10.25m) snagged the gold.
