ASIDE from Maika De Oro, two other Western Visayas junior athletes will participate in the forthcoming 2nd Asean School Games slated on July 12-22, 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The other two athletes are Gerald Layumas of Escalante City and Alyssa Marie Andrade of Aklan.
Andrade is the triple Palarong Pambansa record breaker in elementary long and triple jump and 100 meter dash. Layumas, on the other hand is a promising runner whose events are 1,500 and 800 meters. They will leave July 11 for Malaysia.
However, the Negros Occidental athletes were facing financial difficulty in joining the trip although the Department of Education has assured their approval for the said trip claiming them to look for their own airfares and pocket money for the meantime. Layumas can join the trip if Escalante City will shoulder his trip, according to provincial Sports Development officer, Manuel De Oro.
De Oro said, Andrade has no problem as she will be accompanied her chaperone and supported by the province of Aklan, while Maika De Oro will be supported by her parents.
The 16-year old De Oro became the part of the RP Junior Athletics team after she showcased exemplary performance in various national competition and breaking series of national records in discuss throw.
The invitation of De Oro to join the Philippine Junior Team was through the invitation of Go Teng Kok, Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president who wrote outgoing Governor Isidro P. Zayco.
Patafa included De Oro in the lists together with other athletes to participate in the tournament who compete in the National Open Track and Field Championships.
De Oro represented Western Visayas during the 2010 Palarong Pambansa in the secondary girls’ discuss throw held in Tarlac where the broke records many times.
The young thrower registered new meet record of 36.00 meters eclipsing the old Palaro record of 32.62 which she also set in 2008 Palaro in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.