MANILA — Three athletes, led by Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Reyland Capellan, will leave for Japan on Thursday to compete in the Toyota Cup, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) secretary general Bettina Pou announced on Monday.
Capellan, winner of the men’s floor exercise event in Singapore last year, will be joined by Cristina Onofre and Katrina Evangelista in the tournament, which will start on Dec. 10 in Nagoya, Japan.
“The Toyota Cup is part of their training for the 2017 SEAG (Southeast Asian Games) in Malaysia,” said Pou.
The Philippines will also send junior athletes Chloe Gatlabayan, Mariana Hermoso, Samantha Bustria and Rosanna Nolido in the Mikhail Voronin Cup scheduled on Dec. 17-22 in Moscow, Russia.
The GAP official said it is the first time that the national gymnasts are participating in Moscow.
“Most of the junior athletes who will compete in the Voronin Cup will be seniors next year and they may be the ones selected for next year’s SEA Games,” Pou added.
The 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be held on August 19-31. Jean Malanum/PNA-northboundasia.com