Coach’s blunder ruins Navaja’s chances without running

CEBU’s top sprinter Lindley Fran Navaja’s hard work for his first international competition went down the drain after he was disqualified for a very simple reason in the 14th Asian Junior Track and Field Championships in Hanoi, Vietnam the other day.

The 18-year-old Navaja of the University of Cebu hoped to conquer the 100 and 200 meter events but he and teammates Maika De Oro and Isidro Del Prado Jr. were slapped with automatic disqualification after missing an all-important qualifying heat set in the morning.

Navaja said through Cebu athletic official Lyle Larida that Joselito Dando, who stood as their coach, misinformed them of the time of their competitions.

“They were told their events will start in the afternoon. They didn’t know that the heats were scheduled in the morning before the opening,” Larida said.

Only Mervin Duarte was able to compete in the 3,000m steeplechase. He reached the semifinal round.

The 100-meter run, Navaja’s favorite event, was eventually won by a Chinese runner, who posted 10.6 seconds—a time Navaja could have easily bested since his current best is 10.3, which he made in the national track open last May.

Larida added that international rules state that once an athlete misses the first round, the athlete will be completely disqualified.

Larida added it is supposed to be the coaches’ responsibility to get the schedule of their wards.

“Dili baya na pareho diri sa ato na ang athlete pwede ra makaduol sa mga committee to ask for the schedule of their events. In the international level, only the coaches are allowed to do that,”Larida said.

Navaja is currently the RP junior record-holder in the 100-meter run after he broke a 38-year-old record. This performance became the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association’s basis to pick him for the Asian Junior’s stint.

Navaja has prepared long for this event, even skipping vacation to train for the Hanoi competition.

UC also helped sponsor Navaja’s trip by shouldering some of his expenses.

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