Tracksters end campaign with 2 gold, 9 silver, 5 bronze medals

Men's table tennis double winners Singaporean Yang Zi/Sun Bei-bei, runner up compatriots Gao Ning/Feng Tian Wei, third place Richard Gonzales/ Rodel Ireneo Valle of the Philippines, third place Chaisit Chaitat/Nikom Wongsiri of Thailand pose at the awards podium during the 26th Southeast Asian Games (SEAGAMES) in Jakarta on November 16, 2011. 

PALEMBANG, Indonesia: The national track and field squad wrapped up its campaign with two more medals—a

silver and a bronze—at the close of the 2011 Southeast Asian Games athletics competition on Wednesday at the Jakabaring Athletic Stadium here.

Eric Paniqui (2:28.26) added one more silver medal in the men’s marathon while Eduardo Buenavista (2:29.09) settled for bronze in the same event topped by Yahuza of Indonesia (2:27.45).

Laos SEA Games marathon queen Jho-An Banayag wound up fourth in the women’s division with 2:50.40, some five minutes behind eventual champion Triyaningsih also of Indonesia (2:45.35).
Overall, the Filipino tracksters won two gold, nine silver and five bronze medals highlighted by former Asian champion Marestella Torres’ record-breaking performance in women’s long jump.

Rene Herrera copped the second gold medal in men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase while Mervin Guarte (men’s 1,500m and 800m), Christian Bagsit (men’s 400m), Arniel Ferrera (men’s hammer throw), Narcisa Atienza (women’s heptathlon), Rosie Villarito (women’s javelin throw), Henry Dagmil (men’s long jump), and the men’s 4x400m relay squad also claimed silver medals in their respective events.

The bronze medals were delivered by Loralie Sermona (women’s hammer throw), Danilo Fresnido (men’s javelin throw), Katherine Kay Santos (women’s long jump) and Benigno Marayag (men’s long jump) and Buenavista.

“We have a lot of promising athletes here and we’re happy that they did pretty well in their events.

These are the athletes to watch out for in the coming years,” said Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Go Teng Kok referring to Guarte, Bagsit and Santos who are expected to receive ample support from the association and hopefully from the Philippine Sports Commission starting next year.