TAGBILARAN City, Bohol -- The Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) 11 absorbed a major setback after coming out without any medal during the first day of the National Prisaa Games 2018 secondary athletics competition at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex here.
Although Clarisse Samillano, Jason Jehu Abesamis and Paulo Miguel Gancero made it to the finals in their respective categories, head coach Mamerto Aventurado already downplayed their chances.
"Kulang jud ta sa practice bisag unsaon jud nato hinay jud ta karong tuiga. Wala tay field ug oval na ma-trainingan sa Davao mao kulang jud sa preparasyon (We lack training. We don’t have a track oval where we could train),” Aventurado said in an interview with Sun.Star Davao.
He, however, predicted at least one or two medals from his team.
Coach Danelia Macatulad, for her part, said in the vernacular, “Aside from the lack of venue for training, the training schedule also coincides with the athletes’ part-time jobs.”
She, however, is hopeful that the team will somehow deliver a medal.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old daughter of a farmer and a houswife captured the first gold medal in the Games.
Hazel Pagadduan of Cagayan Valley won the girls’ shotput youth division after heaving the iron ball to a distance of 9.60 meters.
First day action of tertiary athletics was still ongoing as of press time Monday, April 23.