Underdog Filipino bets out to give foreign favorites stiff challenge

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SEA GAMES POOL

They may be the underdogs but Filipino bets headed by John Chicano vow to give the foreign entries stiff challenge in the Elite category of the 2017 Powerman Philippines Asian Championship which kicks off Sunday at Clark Freeport Zone.

Chicano, triathlon silver medalist in the recent Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games, will be joined by Joey delos Reyes, fourth overall in Powerman Thailand, and Cipriane Topia in their bid to cut the foreigners’ stranglehold of the run-bike-run event.

The Netherlands’ Thomas Bruins is determined to bring home the crown that eluded him last year, but faces topnotch opposition in Australia’s Matt Smith and Malaysia’s Ziq Junaidy and Jason Loh.

Sans local star Monica Torres, who begged off at the last minute, Japanese Airi Sawada and Australian Alexandra McDougall head the women’s cast.