NEGRENSE long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang hopes to finally strike it in what could be her final Asiad appearance in the 2018 Asian Games from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2 in Indonesia.
This will be the fourth Asian Games stint of Torres-Sunang. Her best finish was during the 2016 edition in Incheon, South Korea where she ended up at fourth place.
The 37-year-old Torres-Sunang, a three-time Olympian, said she still has what it takes to finally deliver a podium finish in the Jakarta-Palembang meet with her in tip-top shape.
“There are still those who continue supporting me. Besides, I still love to compete,” Torres-Sunang said. “I am doing well with my preparation. We’re trying to cover everything with my training.”
“Our training facility in Vermosa (Sports Hub in Bacoor, Cavite) was an IAAF-certified track oval so me and my fellow Asiad athletes were able to monitor our performance,” she added.
Torres-Sunang’s personal best of 6.72 meters, which she tallied during the 2016 Kazakhstan Open, was higher than the 6.55 effort of 2014 Asian Games gold medallist Maria Nathalia Londa of Indonesia.
Unlike her fellow Filipino tracksters in the 2018 Asian Games, Torres-Sunang chose not to participate in tune up tournaments here and abroad as she wants to focus on her preparation for Asiad.
“Just like in the last SEA Games, two months before the competition my focus is training. No other events for me. I’m hoping for better results, it also depends on my conditioning,” she said.
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CenterPhil Montessori Silver Knights kicked off its campaign in the Primes Cup 2018 Season 2 Basketball Tournament with a 76-55 win over Iloilo National High School on August 5 at the Sta. Clarita Gym.
Led by Rodney Paparon, Wilmar Silverio and Lester Valn Paraico, Silver Knights dominated the Iloilo National High from start to finish to take the early lead in U-18 boys basketball.
Paparon led the way with 13 points, while Silverio and Paraico added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Silver Knights. Jan Aviles top-scored with 16 markers for Iloilo National High.
Iloilo City National High School, meanwhile, survived a tough challenge from La Paz National High School to escape with a 67-63 victory to tie Silver Knights on top of the standings. Norent Kent Hondrada anchored the offense of Iloilo City National High with 10 points.
In the lone 15-and-under match, Integrated Academy School scored a 114-33 domination over Jibao-An. Joseph Matthew Escalante finished with 18 points, while Arlo Balladares added 10 markers for IAS./PN