100 foreign bets join Ilagan Tilt

Close to 100 foreign athletes from eight countries will stand in the way of the Philippines in the 12th Southeast Asian Youth Athletic Championships beginning Monday at Ilagan City Sports Complex.

But sprinter Veruel Verdadero and thrower Jane Marie Cambonga don’t feel threatened at all.

“I’m going to get those gold medals,” said Verdadero from Immaculate Conception in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The 15-year-old won four gold medals in the Batang Pinoy Games held last year in Tagum City.

He’s going to chase glory again in the boys’ 100-meter, 200m, 400m and team up with fellow Filipino sprinters in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay events.

The 17-year-old Cambonga, another prized recruit of the national track pool, is also a spot in the forthcoming Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games in August.

He has been tagged as a heavy favorite in the javelin and discus throw events.

Tracksters from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Iraq, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste joined Filipino athletes during Sunday’s simple opening ceremony led by Ilagan City Mayor Evelyn Diaz.

Also gracing the opener of the two-day meet that serves as appetizer to the 2017 Ayala Philippine National Open on Thursday were Philippine Olympic Committee secretary general Steve Hontiveros and Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello, who declared the Games open.