Elite Teams of JPD Coaching manage podium finishes in Asics Relay

The Elite teams of JPD Coaching with head coach John Philip Dueñas (in blue) an hour before the start of the Asics Relay at the Mall of Asia last Saturday. / Mars G. Alison

The Elite Teams of JPD Coaching successfully hurdled their first races during the Asics Relay, with all of its four teams finishing in the top 5 of their respective categories last weekend at the Mall of Asia in Pasay, Metro Manila.

In the 42-kilometer distance category, the JPD All Men’s and All Women’s teams placed third while its Mixed team placed fifth. In the 21K distance category, its Mixed team placed second.

“It’s a dream come true for me to make this elite team because the overall target of the program is to create and establish elite athletes and represent the country,” said John Philip Dueñas, the director of JPD Coaching.

Dueñas had gathered strong contenders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including two of their grassroots runners from the Sisters of Mary School Boystown in Minglanilla—Jhonn Marc

Dizon and Jessie Abelgas—to form the JPD Elite Team for the Asics Relay. The rest of the runners from Cebu were University of San Carlos varsity runners Mary Joy Loberanis, Melody Perez and Geniecel Saballa of coach Arvin Loberanis, Chobie Dueñas of JPD Coaching and Dueñas.

Runners from Mindanao were Elmer Bartolo, Arlan Arbois, Jr., Jimmy Lugay, Bobby Tadlas, Keenan Lou James Caburnay, Christine Halasgo and Esterlita Organiza, while from Luzon were Jason Agravante and Bernadeth Santillan.

The aim of putting up a JPD Elite Team is to have the team race in prestigious competitions at no expense and in return, they help in raising funds for a JPD project called Grassroots Running Advocacy of the Philippines (GRAP).

The GRAP will give proper training in running for the less fortunate kids or athletes and then give them an opportunity to compete with the goal of finding another Mary Joy Tabal to someday represent the Philippines in international competitions.

GRAP’s visions are to produce future Olympians by 2024.

For the Asics Relay, the team got the support of Asics and Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Ramon ‘El Presidente’ Fernandez. /with a report from a press release