National steeplechasers Junel Gobothia and Jessa Mae Roda strengthened their bids for inclusion in the Philippine team to the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after claiming gold medals in their respective events at the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission on Friday, June 13, at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. Both athletes delivered significantly improved performances compared to their previous international outing as they continued their pursuit of Asian Games qualifying standards.

Gobothia dominated the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, while Roda emerged victorious in the women’s race as the pair highlighted another successful day in the country’s premier track and field competition. Their performances drew praise from coaches and officials who believe both athletes remain capable of reaching higher levels in the coming months.

Steeplechasers Show Progress

Gobothia took command of the men’s race during the final three laps before crossing the finish line in nine minutes and 8.35 seconds. The result marked a notable improvement from the 9:15.39 he recorded while earning a silver medal at the recent New Taipei City Athletics Open in Chinese Taipei.

The victory also secured Gobothia’s third gold medal in the national championships. More importantly, it moved him closer to the Asian Games qualifying standard of 8:36.57, a target he and coach Vertek Buenavista have been actively chasing.

“Buti mas maganda ito kaysa sa last takbo ko sa Taiwan kasi hinahabol namin ni coach Vertek yung qualifying time para sa Asian Games na 8:36.57,” Gobothia said following the race.

Buenavista, himself a former Southeast Asian Games steeplechase champion, expressed confidence in his athlete’s continued development. He believes Gobothia has the potential to lower his time further and become one of the country’s representatives in Japan.

“Kung puwede, I will strongly endorse Gobothia to be one of our steeplechasers in the Asian Games. Malaki naman ang improvement niya and I believe kaya pa niyang ibaba ang kanyang time,” Buenavista said.

Roda also impressed after executing a patient race strategy before overtaking national teammate Edna Magtubo in the closing stages. The surge allowed her to secure the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase title in 10:38.57.

Her winning time represented a massive improvement from the 11:18.86 she posted while finishing fifth in Chinese Taipei. The performance earned her a third gold medal in the championships and strengthened her case for consideration in future international competitions.

Balderama Sets Personal Best

Roda revealed that patience played a key role in her victory as she carefully conserved energy before making her decisive move in the final stretch. The strategy paid off as she found an opening during the last 100 meters and pulled away from Magtubo.

“Naghintay lang po ako ng pagkakataon at hindi nagpabilis sa mga unang rounds kasi baka ako maubusan,” Roda said. “Malakas din si Magtubo kaya nung makakita ako ng opportunity in the last 100 meters at may lakas pa, saka ko binuhos.”

Buenavista also believes Roda deserves consideration for the Asian Games team despite the challenging qualifying standard of 9:47.53. He pointed to her continued improvement and competitive mindset as reasons for optimism moving forward.

Meanwhile, FEU standout Rica Balderama delivered another impressive performance by capturing the women’s long jump gold medal with a personal-best leap of 5.89 meters. The athlete from Irosin, Sorsogon was hoping to break the six-meter barrier as she pursues qualification for the inaugural Asian U23 Championships scheduled from July 9 to 12 in Ordos, China.

Although she fell short of her target, Balderama remained encouraged after establishing a new personal record. The qualifying standard for the continental competition stands at 6.30 meters, leaving her with additional work ahead in the coming months.

“Kaunti na lang sa takeoff alam kong makukuha yung six meters. Sayang, pero masaya ako dahil nakakuha ako ng bagong personal best,” Balderama said.

Balderama also took pride in successfully defending her title against a strong international field. Singapore’s Enya “Chloe” Chee settled for silver with 5.79 meters, while Malaysia’s Aliya Nasaruddin claimed bronze after registering 5.76 meters.