Ubas hopes to win long jump gold in 2017 SEA Games

Janry Ubas (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association) via PNA

MANILA, Aug. 13 — Janry Ubas of Cagayan de Oro hopes to win the gold medal in the men’s long jump event of the 29th Southeast Asian Games which will be held from August 19 to 30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It will be the second SEA Games for Ubas, who won the bronze medal in decathlon two years ago in Singapore.

“Handang-handa na po ako (I am ready),” said Ubas in an online interview on Sunday.

“I joined three tournaments abroad and so far, consistent po ako sa performance ko (I joined three tournaments abroad and so far, my performance is consistent),” said the UAAP Season 78 MVP from Far Eastern University.

Ubas, who became a member of the national team in 2015, has competed in three international tournaments in preparation for the KL SEA Games.

He won the long jump gold (7.78 meters) at the Thailand Open Track and Field Championships from June 12 to 15 at the Thammasat University Sports Complex in Bangkok.

A week before the Thailand tournament, Ubas jumped 7.88 meters in the trials conducted by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) at the Philsports in Pasig City to erase the SEA Games record of Henry Dagmil (7.87 meters) set during the 2007 SEAG in Thailand.

After the Thailand Open, Ubas captured the long jump gold (7.67 meters) in the 2017 Hong Kong Inter-City Athletics Championships held from June 23-24.

Last month, Ubas bagged the silver medal in the 94th Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur.

Aside from the international exposure, Ubas also attended a training camp at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. The national athletics team spent two weeks training in Baguio City and returned to Manila on August 10.

Ubas hopes the Filipino people will pray for Team Philippines.

“Ang mensahe ko para sa mga kababayan natin, sana supportahan nila ako sa darating na competition ko at pati na din ang lahat ng manlalaro natin for this coming SEA Games. Sana ipag-pray nila ang Team Philippines,” said Ubas, who is scheduled to leave for Malaysia on August 17.

Competitions in athletics will be held from August 19 to 26 at the National Stadium, KL Sports City in Bukit Jalil.