National team runners Junel Gobothia and Jessa Mae Roda strengthened their cases for inclusion in the Philippine delegation to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after dominating the men’s and women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase events at the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championship on Friday at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Gobothia pulled away in the closing stages of the men’s race, taking command over the final three laps before crossing the finish line in 9 minutes and 8.35 seconds.
The performance marked a significant improvement from the 9:15.39 he recorded while winning silver at the New Taipei City Athletics Open in Chinese Taipei.
Roda also delivered a strong showing, overtaking fellow national athlete Edna Magtubo in the final 100 meters to secure the women’s title in 10:38.57. She likewise improved considerably from her previous time of 11:18.86, which earned her fifth place in the same meet in Taiwan.
“Buti mas maganda ito kaysa sa last takbo ko sa Taiwan kasi hinahabol namin ni coach Vertek (Buenavista) yung qualifying time para sa Asian Games na 8:36.57,” revealed Gobothia.
The victory was Gobothia’s third gold medal in the national championship.
Elsewhere in the competition, FEU standout Rica Balderama successfully defended her women’s long jump crown with a personal-best leap of 5.89 meters.
The 22-year-old had been targeting a six-meter jump as she pursues qualification for international competitions, including the inaugural Asian U23 Championships. The qualifying standard for the event is 6.30 meters.
“Kaunti na lang sa takeoff alam kung makukuha yung six meters. Sayang, pero masaya ako dahil nakakuha ako ng bagong personal best,” Balderama lamented.
Despite falling short of her target, Balderama remained pleased with her title defense against a field that included athletes from Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia.
Singapore’s Enya “Chloe” Chee finished second with a jump of 5.79 meters, while Malaysia’s Aliya Nasaruddin claimed bronze at 5.76 meters. (AC)
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