MANILA – The Philippines will send 13 players to the 66th Tokai Athletics Championship scheduled from Aug. 26 to 27 in Fukuroi, Japan.
Cambodia SEA Games long jump champion Janry Ubas will lead the team composed of Anfernee Lopeña (men’s 100m); Umajesty Williams, Frederick Ramirez, Michael del Prado and Joyme Sequita (men’s 400m); Clinton Bautista (men’s 110m Hurdles); John Paul Sarmiento (men’s javelin throw); Ronne Malipay (men’s triple jump); Junel Gobotia (men’s 3,000m steeplechase); Jessel Lumapas (women’s 400m); Bernalyn Bejoy (women’s 800m); and Sarah Dequinan (women’s 100m Hurdles, long jump, high jump and javelin throw).
Williams, Del Prado, Sequita and Ramirez are also entered in the 4x400m relay event.
Joining the trip are coaches Jeoffrey Chua, Isidro del Prado and Dario de Rosas.
Of the 13 athletes, four — Ubas, Malipay, Lumapas and Dequinan — are going to the Asian Games slated Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou, China.
“The Japan tournament is in the list of exposures for the Asian Games-bound athletes as well as other members of the national team,” head coach Jojo Posadas told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday.
Ubas, with a personal best of 8.08m, came from back-to-back victories in Europe.
“I’m expecting to improve my personal best and to make the podium,” the 29-year-old native of Villanueva, Misamis Oriental province said.
Ubas won the Motonet Grand Prix in Lappeenranta, Finland in 7.86 meters. His gold medal performance in Cambodia last May was 7.85m.
In Italy, he registered 7.72m to beat 2018 Summer Youth Olympics champion Lester Alcides Lescay Gay of Cuba at the 16th Triveneto Meeting Internationale in Trieste.
Before going to Europe, he placed seventh at the 25th Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok, Thailand where he submitted 7.98m. He won the silver medal (7.95m) at the Taiwan Open last May 28. (PNA)