Chicano, Mangrobang lead SUBIT field

MANILA, Philippines — Southeast Asian Games-bound John Leerams Chicano and Kim Mangrobang spearhead the country’s campaign in the return of the Subic International Triathlon (SUBIT) after a two-year absence on May 1 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Chicano and Mangrobang will use the 29th edition of the annual race as their final tune-up for the Hanoi SEAG slated May 12 to 23 where they will try to match their two-gold hauls in 2019 in Manila.

Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco, who organizes the Subic tilt in partnership with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Rolen Paulino, said all Hanoi-bound triathletes will vie in SUBIT.

Andrew Kim Remolino, a SEA Games silver medal winner, is seeing action along with 30 foreign participants from Australia, India, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Poland, Taiwan, Slovakia and the United States.

Carrasco said this is the first triathlon event in two years in the country that will be participated in by elite international athletes.

“We will have a strong field,” said Carrasco, who as the event organizer, hopes to discover promising new talents in the race backed by SBMA, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Standard Insurance, Asian Center for Insulation Phil., Pocari Sweat and FINIS.

Chicano and Mangrobang themselves are products of SUBIT.

“I’m proud to say SUBIT has produced SEA Games champions, an Asian duathlon gold medalist and notable Asian Games performers,” said Carrasco.

Some of the young guns to watch out for are Ryan Faith Alcoseba, Gene Heart Quiambao, Erika Burgos and Matthew Hermosa among others.