T&F luring foreigners with Filipino heritage

THE PHILIPPINE Amateur Track and Field Association is opening its doors to foreign athletes with Filipino roots to expand its talent pool.

National head coach Joseph Sy yesterday said they are looking at increasing the athletics pool to a minimum of 50 athletes to ensure a sound turnover of veterans.

Athletics is a mandatory sport in the Olympics and has one of the most number gold medals at stake with 45.

“We’ve asked the Philippine Sports Commission to give us 50 to 60 slots,” said Sy. “Right now we have 33.”

Of the present roster, 17 are veterans, giving the Patafa room to tap young talents from the Philippine National Games.

There’s a handful of overseas-based athletes with Filipino heritage waiting in the wings, including Fil-American Eric Cray, a 25-year-old from Florida who boasts a personal best in the 400-meter hurdles that is better than the national record of Renato Unso which has stood since 1983.

Cray ran 50.74 seconds, surpassing Unso’s 51.26 seconds, last April in the Florida Relays.

But Sy said Cray’s time can’t be recognized as the new PH record until he obtains a PH passport. Cray, whose mother hails from Olongapo, hopes to see action in the PNG.