MANILA: National team mainstays Mark Harry Diones and Aries Toledo stamped their class in the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Philippine Athletics Championships at PhilSports track and field stadium in Pasig City.
Diones registered 15.60 meters to retain the men’s Open triple jump title on Sunday.
Ronnie Malipay placed second in 5.35m to improve on his bronze medal finish last year, while Brendon Ting Li King of Sarawak Sukma Malaysia was third in 14.98m.
“It’s a blessing because this is my first tournament after recovering from the heel injury I sustained in the last (2023) SEA (Southeast Asian Games,” Diones, born and raised in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, said in an interview.
“I’m grateful to those who are helping me and keep believing that I can return to competition. I thank God because I can still jump until now, even if I’m getting old,” said Diones, 31.
He set the national record of 16.70m in the 2017 edition of this tournament organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and
Field Association (PATAFA).
Diones, who trains under national coach Jojo Posadas, has bagged three silvers (2017, 2019, 2022) and one bronze (2023) at the SEA Games.
Meanwhile, Toledo ruled the men’s decathlon after tallying 6,348 points.
He beat Allen Roy Mationg of Pasig City (5,809) and Ronel Juntilla of Pinoy Athletics (5,247).
“I didn’t expect to win. I had little time to train,” Toledo said.
He earlier bagged a silver medal in the 4x100m relay with Clinton Kingsley Bautista, Alex Talledo Jr. and Anfernee Lopena.
Toledo had already captured four medals at the SEA Games — two golds (2017, 2019), a silver (2021) and a bronze (2023).
He also set the national record (7,469) in Vietnam (2021).
“I want to break my record — that is the target in the next SEAG,” aded the 31-year-old Toledo from Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, referring to the Thailand Games in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Philippine Army’s Richard Salano clocked 31:26.82 to win the men’s 10,000m event over University of the East’s James Darrel Ordu
na (31:38.21) and Spectrum Runners Team A’s Ricky Organiza (31:42.21).
The top three in the women’s division were Team Malaybalay City, Bukidnon’s Christine Hallasgo (37:00.05), Spectrum Runners Team A’s Edna Maglubo (39:46.72) and Bohol Province Track and Field Team’s April Joy Alampayan (39:46.81).
The other gold medalists were Thailand’s Hamacham Kojchakorn (women’s U20 hammer throw), Sarawak Sukma Malaysia’s Akmal bin Kifflyza (men’s U20 decathlon) and Masbate’s Prince Charles Branzuela (men’s U18 discus throw).
Source: Philippines News Agency