PH bets toughen up

Philippine athletics gets an early start in preparing for the Manila Southeast Asian Games as it hosts two international meets where its athletes will be ranged against some of the region’s best.

Already, Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico said they’re out to surpass their best SEA Games output of 13 gold medals Filipinos won in Singapore in 1983.

“This is a very big year,” said Juico during Wednesday’s press launch of the National Open and the Southeast Asian Youth Championship that will be held back-to-back, from March 2-8 in Ilagan, Isabela.

The National Open will be participated in by all members of the PH team including United States-based track star Eric Cray.