PH’s first bobsledders gear up for Alberta Cup
Credit to Author: Tempo Online| Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 07:00:13 +0000
Consul Thelmo Cunanan at Igls in Innsbruck, Austria with Coast Guardsmen Sid Isidro and Jeffrey De la Cruz, the Philippines’ and ASEAN’s first bobsledders
By Rafael Bandayrel
Philippine Coast Guard’s Sid Isidro and Jeffrey De la Cruz have mixed feelings as the country makes its bobsledding debut in the Alberta Cup Provincial Championship slated next month.
In September last year, the Philippine National Bobsled Luge and Skeleton Association (PNBLSA) and the PCG spearheaded an effort to have bobsled recognized by the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) as a national sport.
“We are looking forward to the Alberta Cup. This is the team’s first foray in North America and it will give our athletes more experience in the sport,” said Thelmo Cunanan, PNBLSA President and CEO. “We have two teams this year with powerful and experienced athletes so I believe our chances of performing well in the competition are good.”
Isidro and De la Cruz are the first-ever assembled bobsledding team in the Philippines and the entire ASEAN region as well.
The Filipinos will be up against the best teams North America has to offer. But Alberta Cup will only be the duo’s “first step” as they already have their sights fixed on the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
“We’re confident that we can accomplish great things with the help and support of our friends and Filipino brothers and sisters in Canada. Hopefully, we’ll be able to represent the Philippines in Beijing in 2022,” said Cunanan.