Plantation Bay to support young Cebuano triathletes
PLANTATION Bay Resort and Spa has pledged its support to three young Cebuanos who are part of the national developmental pool for triathlon.
Plantation Bay general manager Efren Belarmino, during a press conference held yesterday at the resort, said they are willing to do what little they can to help Chiongbian siblings Justin, 14, and Yuan, 12, and Nica Villaba, 11, in their training.
The three are the first members of the Cebu developmental team, which is part of the grassroots developmental program of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).
The three got invited to be part of the national developmental training pool when they took part in the two-day triathlon clinic organized by Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez and hosted by Plantation Bay last April. The clinic was handled by national coach Melvin Fausto.
Since the three started their careers in Plantation Bay via the clinic, Belarmino said they are open in making the resort the official training ground for the Cebu developmental team.
CEBU SUPERTRIKIDS
Article continues after this advertisementNAGP TILT
Article continues after this advertisementPlantation Bay will be hosting another clinic dubbed Cebu SuperTriKids National Grassroots Program (NAGP) Camp and Competition this Thursday to Sunday.
Rodriguez said that Fausto wanted to hold the clinic in Cebu because of the achievements of the Chiongbians and Villaba, who only started last April. Fausto will be arriving tomorrow with other members of the national developmental team.
The upcoming camp will be sort of an evaluation of the members of the national developmental team.
Of the three, Justin Chiongbian is the one who has had the most impressive performance after finishing third in the Cold Storage Singapore Triathlon 2012 National Championships and Corporate Challenges at the East Coast Park Area E2, Angsana Green, Singapore earlier this month.
Justin Chiongbian was the highest placed Filipino youth triathlete with Sixto Louie Lalanto, the country’s no.1 junior triathlete, placing only fifth.
In last April’s 2012 Century Tuna SuperTriKids, Justin Chiongbian placed second to Lalanto, then a distant 10th to Lalanto’s first place finish in the K-Swiss SUBIT last June. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON
