LAOAG SAND DUNES. Laoag City Mayor Michael Keon (in red) leads the inspection of the terrain of the La Paz sand dunes in this undated photo. The city government will host the 1st Laoag Sand Dunes Challenge on Feb. 25, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the City Government of Laoag) LAOAG CITY - The city government on Friday invited the country's top runners and enthusiasts to take part in its first-ever running event on Feb. 25 featuring the famous sand dunes of Ilocos Norte. Laoag Mayor Michael Keon said the city government would be hosting the Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge, featuring 5K and 10K category running events along the La Paz sand dunes overlooking the West Philippine Sea. "As everyone knows, yours truly is a former athlete-runner so I decided that it would be a very interesting event if instead of holding a fun run on a regular course, it would be conducted on the scenic, undulating, and hilly terrains of the Laoag sand dunes, which will be the main attraction for this act
31st Southeast Asian Games opening ceremonies in Hanoi, Vietnam (Photo courtesy of PSC) HANOI - Except for some minor hitches, national team chef de mission Ramon Fernandez on Wednesday gave the thumbs-up to the Vietnamese hosts for the organization of the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games. "The Vietnamese SEA Games hosts have been warm, hospitable and run a tight ship. The accommodations of our athletes, coaches and other staff of the Philippine team are comfortable. We have been treated well. There have been no major complaints," Fernandez said. He said the one problem he has heard so far was the transport from the hotels of the participants to the training and competition venues, which was understandable since Vietnam, like the rest of the region, was still coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. "The organizers have been apologetic about this issue and have addressed our concerns as soon as they can whenever the transport problems crop up," Fernandez, also a
Filipino pole vault star Ernest John "EJ" Obiena (File photo) MANILA - Ernest John "EJ" Obiena was not on the list of athletes that the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) intends to send to the 31st Southeast Asian Games to be held in Vietnam in May. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino said it is one gold medal lost for Team Philippines. "I can only shake my head, this is horrible," said Tolentino on Obiena's name missing from the entry by numbers form which the Patafa and 38 other national sports associations (NSAs) taking part in Vietnam submitted to the POC. "Barring serious injury, EJ will win the gold medal even blind folded in Hanoi," Tolentino said. "He's not only the best in the SEA Games, but in the whole of Asia-not to forget that he's No. 5 in the world." The POC tasked NSAs to submit their entries by numbers for the SEA Games on Monday as V
Filipino pole vault star Ernest John "EJ" Obiena (File photo) MANILA - Ernest John "EJ" Obiena was not on the list of athletes that the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) intends to send to the 31st Southeast Asian Games to be held in Vietnam in May. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino said it is one gold medal lost for Team Philippines. "I can only shake my head, this is horrible," said Tolentino on Obiena's name missing from the entry by numbers form which the Patafa and 38 other national sports associations (NSAs) taking part in Vietnam submitted to the POC. "Barring serious injury, EJ will win the gold medal even blind folded in Hanoi," Tolentino said. "He's not only the best in the SEA Games, but in the whole of Asia-not to forget that he's No. 5 in the world." The POC tasked NSAs to submit their entries by numbers for the SEA Games on Monday as V
THE mediation process to resolve the burning issue between world-class pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and his federation rolled out after lunch time on Monday and grounded to a halt an hour past sunset. Grounded to a halt because neither party Obiena or the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association…