Patafa bets in high spirits

MANILA, Philippines — “We’re ready.”

This was how Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general Edward Kho described the readiness of their 16-strong team to the 19th Asian Games athletics competition starting Friday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Center.

Spearheaded by World pole vault No. 2 EJ Obiena, the Nationals will go all out to snare the country’s first medal since Elma Muros-Posadas snatched a women’s long jump bronze in the 1994 Hiroshima Games.

Two-time Southeast Asian Games gold winner Kristina Knott will be the first to plunge into action as the Fil-Am sprinter from Orlando competes in the 100-meter dash Friday.

She is also scheduled to race in the 200m Sunday.

Obiena, the Asian champion and record-holder, wades into battle Saturday in the event he is expected to dominate and end the country’s decades-long medal drought in athletics.

Robyn Brown, a World Championships veteran who struck gold in the women’s 400m hurdles in last July’s Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, will go for gold in the same event Tuesday.