SEA games slots up for grabs in nat’l qualifiers

Focused on delivering the goods in the coming Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine skateboarding team will embark on a series of regional tryouts to discover the finest skaters in the country.

Skateboarding and roller sports chief Monty Mendigoria announced on Sunday the search for the most talented Filipino skaters starting with the Luzon leg on March 16 and 17 in Iba, Zambales.

The best from the Visayas region will show up in Cebu City on April 6 and 7, with Asian Games gold medalist Margielyn Didal expected to inspire the national team aspirants in her hometown.

“We feel that Margie and the skateboarding team will become our bright lights in the 2020 Olympics, and hopefully they can bring home our first Olympic gold medal,” said Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go.

The national SEA Games qualifier is scheduled Aug. 24 and 25 in Santa Rosa, Laguna, after the Mindanao leg on May 25 and 26 in General Santos City.

Aside from targeting majority of the 16 gold medals at stake in the SEA Games on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Clark, the national skaters under the Go For Gold program are also training their sights on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

The top three participants from the regionals will get the chance to prove their worth in the national SEA Games qualifying championship.

Mendigoria has also organized a skateboarding judges seminar and accreditation examination to be conducted by skateboarding icon Warren Stuart on Feb. 24 at Rufo’s Telus Building in Cubao, Quezon City.

Skateboarding in the Philippines catapulted to fame when the 19-year-old Didal won in last year’s Asiad in Indonesia.