Tokyo 2020 qualifiers to train in Japan

Eric Cray. TED S. MELENDRES

Athletics chief Philip Ella Juico announced Friday that Filipino tracksters who would qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 would spend three months in Japan to prepare for the Games.

The president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association bared that the Philippine team had been invited to set up a training camp at the world-class Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki, a 20,246-seater track and field competition venue in Isahaya, Nagasaki.

Juico is confident that at least six athletes, headed by Filipino-American hurdler Eric Cray and pole vaulter EJ Obiena, would make it to the Tokyo Games.

“It was a good offer. There will be several tournaments near that area prior to the Olympics where our athletes can participate,” said Juico, a former chair of the Philippine Sports Commission. “Staying there for three months before the Olympics is a major advantage.”

Juico added the invite came from Japanese businessman Katsutoshi Shimizu, who offered to sponsor the training program of the country’s Olympic track and field qualifiers.