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MANILA, Philippines – Elbren Neri, who quit his college studies to concentrate on athletics, upset 2017 SEA Games silver medallist Marco Vilog to win the 800 meters at the Singapore Open on Wednesday.
Neri became the Philippines’ lone gold medallist in the two-day meet after Vilog, Eduardo Alejan Jr in the 400 meter dash and Michael del Prado in the 400-meter hurdles captured silvers.
Harry Diones came in third in the triple jump, nearly a meter off his own Philippine record.
Neri was in his fourth year at the UST College of Education when he decided to give athletics a go in 2016. He became a training partner of the national middle distance squad but remained in the shadow of Merwin Guarte, the country’s top runner at this distance.
In the Singapore race, Neri burst out of final bend into the last straight, with Vilog way behind. Neri won in 1:53.89 followed by Vilog’s 1:55.87.
“Hindi ko po kasi inasahan na manalo ako. Yung partner ko kasi Silver ng Sea Games kaya parang hindi po ako makapaniwala na manalo ako,” said Neri when asked over Messenger. (I didn’t expect to win. My partner, whom I beat here was the SEA Games silver medalist in this event.)
Alejan with 47.84 was a far second to Muhammad Suhaimi of Malaysia’s 47.33 in the 400m.
Del Prado clocked 53.26 in a rare effort at the 400-meter hurdles, where his uncle, Jaime Grafilo was the 1981 Southeast Asian Games champ, trouncing Renato Unso, current secretary general of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association.
Diones took third in the triple jump on countback after being tied with Pratchaya Tepparak of Thailand with 15.88. Lee Kuei-lung of Chinese Taipei won in 15.98 meters, which pales behind Diones’ national record of 16.70 meters. – Rappler.com
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