GRASSROOTS PROGRAM A MUST

Romero said a solid grassroots program is needed so the country can discover talents at their raw stage, when they can be nurtured into athletes who can perform at the highest level, including the Olympics.

The former president of the national shooting association, who also had a hand helping develop cycling, basketball, volleyball and even polo, said what they normally discover are athletes who are already nearing or in their prime.

“We want to discover talents at the youngest age possible, and not when they are already grown-ups. Normally, these talents are discovered by the NSAs (national sports associations) only because they start winning their events,” he said. - PhilStar  Read more

SUBIC BAY HOSTS ASIAN TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

PhilStar.  MANILA, Philippines - Subic Bay Freeport will stage the K-Swiss Subic Bay ASTC Asian Triathlon Championships on April 27, 28 and 29 with another banner field fighting it out for top honors in various divisions in the $12,000 event.

A joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, the three-day event marks the 20th edition of the longest running and premier standard distance triathlon in the country as well as the third time the Freeport has hosted the Asian Triathlon Championships.

In the event sponsored by K-Swiss, Speedo, David’s Salon, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP), Gatorade, Fitness First and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), elite participants as well as those in the U-23, Elite Juniors, age-group sprint (750m swim, 20-km bike, 5.4-km run) and mini-sprint (350m swim, 9.8-km bike, 3-km run) categories will race on April 27.

The second day will have age-groupers and inter-club competitors race the standard distance (1.5-km swim, 40-km bike, 10-km run). Finally, the Asian Mixed Team Relay championships and the debut of the Paratriathlon competition will take place on April 29.

Over $12,000 in total prize money are at stake for winners in the elite, U-23 and Junior Sprint categories while medals and will be awarded to the top five finishers of the standard distance age-group categories, the top 3 finishers for sprint distance categories, and for the five members of the top three teams in the Inter-Club competition.

On starting the new year, the TRAP’s first two events slated are the PSC Aquathlon on Jan. 27 and the opening leg of the National Age-Group Triathlon (NAGT) series at Dungaree Beach, Subic Bay Freeport on Feb. 3

TOP DUATHLETES VIE FOR ASIAN DUATHLON SLOTS

PhilStar.  MANILA, Philippines - Over 100 top age-group duathletes from 19 countries vie for qualifying slots in the 2013 Elite Duathlon World Championships (World Games) in the Century Tuna ASTC Asian Duathlon Championships set Nov. 25 in Subic Bay.

Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) members Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Syria and Iran have confirmed participation in the event organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) with Malaysia set to field in 20 entries.

Duathletes from Brazil, Australia, Great Britain, France, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Canada and New Zealand have also joined the event.

As based on the rules of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the top five male and female athletes of each ITU Continental Qualification Event will gain slots in the Elite Duathlon World Championships (World Games) set July 26-27 in Cali, Colombia. In total, 110 male and female duathletes will compete in the World Championships which was confirmed by the ASTC during its executive board meeting in Auckland, New Zealand recently.

The TRAP has also confirmed that more than 300 local participants have signed up for the event, sponsored by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Fitness First, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP), Standard Insurance and Gatorade.

ANALYSIS: TROUBLED NSAs STYMIE PROGRESS OF PHL SPORTS

PhilStar.  One of the most telling blows to Philippine sports was dealt by the cycling association. The association had two presidents between 2005 and 2011. One “rebel” group had as many as five who, unable to find a way out of the crisis, stumbled over one another in their haste to resign. The infighting reached a point when the cyclists of the rebel group were not allowed to compete in the tournament of the other.

Since the national trials were conducted by the POC-accredited NSA, other cyclists, who were actually licensed professionals and more qualified, did not participate. In the SEA Games, the POC amateur cyclists were in turn not allowed by the International Cycling Federation to participate because they lacked a license.

Coming back home, both presidents conducted their own separate tournament to determine players for their next international competitions. They scheduled them on the same day. Again cyclists were made to choose, between a UCI (international cycling federation)-sanctioned tournament that would earn them a license and UCI points to see action in professional competitions abroad in the future and a tournament where the qualifiers will get allowances as POC accredited amateur athletes... Read more

SWIMMERS MAKE IT THE HARD WAY

Phil Star.  Joseph said Lacuna and Alkhaldi are examples of how homegrown swimmers could blossom into Olympic qualifiers. “We were able to take homegrown talent, put them in serious training for six years since they were just 12 and 13 and six years later, mint new Philippine Olympians,” he said.

“Are they going to win in London? These kids are going to be up against swimmers 8 to 10 years older than them, who have swum millions of meters more than them annually. And had much more money invested in them than we could dream of. Jes and Jas are the future. They’ll compete in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and one or two more Olympics if we can afford to keep them in the water... Read more

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING VS BODYBUILDING

Phil Star.  “Athletes are often confused between strength and conditioning, and bodybuilding,” said Sumulong.

For the ordinary athlete, building muscles mean building on strength, but the Filipino expert said it’s not always true, saying with added muscles, an athlete sometimes gives up a lot in strength and agility... Read more

SMART GOES FULL BLAST IN SUPPORT OF PINOY RIDERS

PhilStar.  In March, Smart also sponsored the national team competing for the Asian Cycling Championships and Asian Youth Championships both held in Malaysia.

“CYCLING is one of the sports we Filipinos can compete and excel,” said Epok Quimpo, Smart Sports Manager. “As we’ve seen in major Tours, Filipino cyclists are world-class bikers. With the qualification of Danny as the only Asian in the Olympics BMX event, this is a testament that we Filipinos can compete with the world. We hope Danny’s Olympic journey will inspire more Filipino kids to follow in his footsteps,” Quimpo added... Read more

P-NOY: YOU MADE CHANGE POSSIBLE

PhilStar.  “This is why, to all the nurses, midwives, or doctors who chose to serve in the barrios; to each new graduate who has chosen to work for the government; to each FILIPINO ATHLETE who proudly carries the flag in any corner of the globe, to each government official who renders true and honest service: You made this change possible. So whenever I come face to face with a mother who tells me, ‘Thank you, my child has been vaccinated,’ I respond: You made this happen,” Aquino said... Read more

VELASCO: THE OLYMPICS - WHAT IT REALLY TAKES

What does it really take to succeed at the Olympic level?

Starting early. This applies all throughout the process of trying to get into the Olympics from the time the athlete is a child. Scientific studies have shown that it takes about 10,000 hours to produce consistent world-class performance in any field, not just in sports. In ordinary terms, that is three hours a day for about 10 years. If a child begins training at the age of seven, he or she will be internationally competitive in his or her late teens, then build on that the next few years. Some world champions are still teenagers, after all... Read more

HENSON: FIL-AM IN OLYMPIC BMX RIDE OF HIS LIFE

Phil Star.  Caluag, 25, is the only Asian of 32 male qualifiers from all over the world. The BMX (Bicycle Motocross) event was introduced in the Olympic calendar in Beijing in 2008 with Latvia’s Maris Strombergs capturing the gold medal in 36.190 seconds. The schedule of competition is on Aug. 8-10 and will feature quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds. In each round, eight cyclists are engaged in a head-to-head battle, starting off with a ride down an eight-meter-high ramp then negotiating a dirt circuit that has a banked corner, S-bend transfer and jump marks. The quarterfinal and semifinals consist of three runs with the cumulative time determining the riders to advance. The finals will gather the top eight cyclists in a single-lap showdown... Read more

JUICO: CHILDREN'S SPORTS

Phil Star.  Hyman says in the interview with SL that much of the blame falls on parents’ laps who have usurped control of youth sports. “It’s not the presence of adults that is distorting youth sports. Rather the issue is our well-documented impulse to turn sports for children into a de facto professional league. Only the kids are losers here. Their voices are rarely heard, and then only to justify the questionable judgment of adults.” Hyman emphasizes that “already we’ve turned youth sports into highly rated prime-time TV programming worth millions of dollars to networks and their sponsors.”... Read more

FIRST PINOY TO WIN UCI RACE

Phil Star.  “Ito talaga ang inaabangan kong lap. Pangako ko sa sarili ko at sa coach, floating muna ako sa patag dahil dito sa Baguio magkaalaman at magkakainan ng oras (I made a promise to myself and my coach that I will make my move in this lap after floating in the flat roads of the first three stages. I knew that this was where the race will ultimately be decided),” said Calderon, whose stage win completed the Filipinos’ romp in all but one of the four laps in this bikathon that started up north in Sta. Ana, Cagayan... Read more

QUERIMIT SPRINGS BACK TO LIFE, RULES 2ND STAGE

PhilStar.  Querimit, the Pozzorubio, Pangasinan pride, joined seven others in breaking away from the peloton entering the last 60 kms at Quezon town. He wisely conserved his energy up until the last 200 meters where he made one final push to overtake Lim and the rest of the pursuers in a sprint to the finish line in front of Isabela State U.

Lim, bronze medalist in last year’s Asian Junior Cycling Championships, was given the same time as Scholz, Joel Calderon of Mail and More, and Bradeley Hall of Plan B.

“Sa likod lang ako, nagpapahinga para sa sprint kasi alam ko ang lalakas rumemate ng kalaban. Nag-exert ako sa finish line at successful naman ang remate ko sa last 500 meters (I was lurking and conserving energy for the spring to the finish line and my effort to bolt away in the last 500-m paid off,” Querimit said... Read more

LE TOUR LURES ELITE CAST OF RIDERS

PhilStar.  MANILA, Philippines - The cream of local cycling brace for a tough challenge from a crack international field, the scorching heat and the tough, demanding routes when the Le Tour de Filipinas hits the road from April 14-17 starting in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Valley and ending in mountaintop Baguio City... read more

SOLVING OUR TRAFFIC WOES, TWO WHEELS AT A TIME

Philippine Star.  First of all, a bicycle is a vehicle. Meaning that once it is ridden on public roads, it is subject to the same road rules. That means that we cannot run red lights, stop signs and the like. We cannot ride counterflow to the traffic or make illegal turns.

In return, however, we must be given the same respect as every road user. Technically speaking, we are entitled to one lane, although we will rarely (if ever) exercise that right for the sole reason that less is more. If we take up less of the road, there’s more for everybody. So go ahead, feel free to take it, but please, just don’t act like you own it... Read more

HUGE FIELD READY TO ENDURE XTERRA OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON

Phil Star Newspaper.  Manila, Philippines - Considered the world’s premier off-road triathlon event, the series will test participants in the Pang Rave Run on Feb. 26 in San Mateo, Rizal; the XTERRA Weekend, highlighted by world-class competition in ocean swim-mountain bike trail ride-trail run, on March 17-18 in scenic Liloan, Cebu; and Putik Pare, a race on mud, in Clark on Nov. 18...

The Pang Rave Run will kick off the hostilities, testing runners in a demanding trail run (22, 10, and 5K categories) amid the magnificent views of Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal.

The series then goes to Liloan, Cebu for the main event, the Vaseline Men XTERRA Weekend. This two-day gig is headlined by the XTERRA Phl Championship Triathlon and Trail Run, where 40 tickets to the XTERRA Off-Road triathlon world championship slated October in Maui, Hawaii, to the and XTERRA Trail Run world championship in December in Oahu, Hawaii, will be up for grabs.

Capping the series will be the Putik Pare, which will see participants in a duathlon relay, going through a trail run and mountain bike ride ending with now famous Putik Pit... Read more

DIFFERENT RIDERS DOMINATE FIELD IN TOUR OF BOHOL

(click to enlarge)

Published in The Philippine Star Newspaper on Sept. 28, 2011 Wed issue

MANILA, Philippines - Competition in the two-day Tour of Bohol held last weekend at the third district of the province of Bohol proved to be tough that different cyclists ruled the categories at stake in the race.

Category 4 rider James Tiples of PLDT-Liven emerged the best in the 90-kilometer road but new face Romeo Camingao of Excellent Noodles stole the limelight in the challenging 22-kilometer Individual Time Trial that saw riders passed through the lust man-made green forest in Bilar.

The host province also made its presence felt as Roberto Sanial and Antonio Beronio of Paseo De Loon finished one-two in the Category 4 ITT race, an indication that the talents are abundant in the said district.

“The objective in holding the first ever cycling event in the third district of Bohol is to showcase our beautiful scenes to promote the district as a sports destination and to provide opportunities for our locals to showcase their talents. I think we achieved our goals,” said Congressman Arthur Yap who threw his all-out support to the two-day race organized by Bike King.

Action in the event also supported by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), Pocari Sweat, Orbea Bicycles and Corratec Bicycles, began Saturday with the road race held in an out-and-back course at the Loay Municipal Hall with Fitness First Team doing most of the pacesetting. In the last 10 kms the pair of James Tiples of PLDT-Liven and Paolo Sauler escaped from the lead pack to record the best time at 2:20:53, with Tiples out sprinting Sauler by a few inches.

Camingao fell short by 63 ticks at 2:21:56 in the road race but bounced back in Sunday’s ITT race where he displayed his climbing skills leading to a solid 46 minutes, 40 seconds peformance.

RG Roa and Mark Ellis of Fitness First could only watch Camingao from the distance as they contended themselves with a second and third place showing at 47:22 and 49:13 time, respectively.

Sanial and Beronio meanwhile rode on their familiarity of the uphill race course to claim first and second spot with 48:56 and 51:18 time. Excellent Noodle’s Ferdinand Ojerio took third with 52:44.

Cebu Cycling junior rider Igi Maximo ruled the Junior division with 2:53:23 and 53:33 performance in the two-stage race.

Female rider Ting Joson of Bike King and Malaysian junior rider Aina Farid also showed their stuff in the race that also drew the support of The Philippine Star, Summit Media, Women’s Health magazine, Men’s Health magazine and Runner’s World as event’s media partners.

Joson negotiated the road race in 2:54:17 and recorded 1:12:34 in the ITT while Farid took part in the mountain climb and clocked at 1:11:57.