With only a month left before the Olympic qualifying season begins, Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) President Terry Capistrano expressed confidence that the Filipino athletes will perform well against other contenders in three major tournaments lined up this year. Capistrano refers to the Asian Athletics Championships on July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand, the World Athletics Championships on Aug. 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary, and the 19th Asian Games on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. These tournaments are all Olympic qualifying events since the window for the 2024 Paris Games begins on July 1 and up to June 30 next year. Asia's No. 1 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, Southeast Asia’s long jump king Janry Ubas, and six-time 400-m hurdle SEA Games champion Eric Cray are expected to lead the country’s campaign in these tournaments as they shoot for Olympic berths. “They will lead the Philippine team at the start of the Olympic qualifying season after winning gold medals in the last Cambodia SEA Games,” Capistrano said, referring to Obiena, Ubas and Cray who have won the gold in the biennial meet along with the men’s 4x400 relay team. Now heading to his first year as athletics chief since taking the reign from former PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico in June 2022, Capistrano expressed his faith not only to the medalists but also to those who failed to perform in the last biennial meet. “Those who did not do well in the last Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh last month will have a chance to improve in the next two upcoming overseas competitions,” Capistrano said. He expects sending around 20 to 25 athletes and 10 coaches and staff to the Asian Games, noting that the contingent would come from the gold and silver winners at the recent SEA Games and from those who would perform well in the Asian Championships and even possibly the World Championships. “I believe in my athletes because all of them are pursuing goals beyond the regional SEA Games as they aim to improve their craft,” he said. “They are aware that they have to perform well. That’s why they keep on training hard.” The Philippine athletics team finished with four gold medals, 10 silvers and eight bronzes in Phnom Penh last month. “It was a bitter sweet experience in my first SEA Games as head of PATAFA. There were many photo finishes where we could have won, but overall I gave our campaign a passing grade of 80. We can always do better and we have to keep improving. The SEA Games is not the ultimate goal,” said Capistrano. SEA Games silver medalist Umajesty Williams (400-m) and Sonny Montenegro Wagdos (5,000-m), women’s silver medalist Joida Gagnao (3,000-m steeplechase), Gennah Malapit (javelin throw) and Sarah Dequinan (heptathlon) will compete in the Asian Championships and Asian Games this year. Tokyo Olympian Kristina Knott, Kayla Richardson and thrower William Morrison didn’t perform well in the last biennial meet. They will attempt to bounce back in the Asian Championships in July, according to Capistrano.