The country’s paltry gold-medal output in the recent Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships on home soil provides the national track and field federation a glimpse of an unpromising future.
And Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico acknowledges that the prospect is bleak unless the federation does something drastic.
“We were sixth and it’s very reflective of our position in the Southeast Asian Games,” said Juico. “There’s really a lot of work to be done.”
Pole vaulter Francis Obiena delivered the country’s only gold on the final day of the eight-nation championships held in Iligan City, Isabela.
Filipinos also settled for nine silver and 15 bronze medals.
Vietnam ruled the meet for athletes 18 years and younger with 13 gold and eight silver medals, followed by Malaysia
(6-6-6), Indonesia (6-2-4) and Thailand (5-0-0), which brought only six athletes.
“We’ll come up with a training plan,” said Juico, adding that the young tracksters should regularly compete abroad.