ISABELA is ready to roll off the red carpet for participants of the 2017 Ayala Philippine National Open Invitational Athletics Championships from March 30 to April 2 at the Ilagan City Sports Complex.
The country’s athletes from the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association will be tested against competitors from Sri Lanka, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Guam and Brunei Darussalam.
Around 1,000 athletes are expected to flock the provincial capital during the four-day event.
Before the National Open, Ilagan City will also host the 12th Southeast Asian Youth Athletics Championships from March 27 to 28. The championships will gather athletes aged 15 to 17 from 10 Southeast Asian countries.
Rio Olympian and national record-holder Eric Cray will compete in the 100 meters and 400m hurdles, while Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Caleb Stuart is expected to see action in the hammer throw.
Long jumper Donovant Arrioala, a bronze medallist in 2015 SEA Games; 200m and 400m specialist Trenten Beram; and comebacking long jumper Tyler Ruiz are also competing in the National Open.
Sri Lanka will send women’s 400m contender Nimali Liyanarachchi, while Malaysia will fly in middle distance runner Savinder Kaur Singh and hurdler Raja Azhar.
The country will also field entries from the national pool and athletes from the University Athletic Association f the Philippines, National Collegiate Athletic Association and State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association.