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Green triathlon advocacy kicks off TRAP's year-round campaign


The Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) moved to the next level in its environmental support program by formally launching its Green Triathlon Advocacy at a recent press conference at the Philippine Columbian Association. "We are definitely serious in becoming more actively involved in helping protect the environment. Triathlon is one of the most environment-friendly sports and we aim to make it even more friendly. We are encouraging all triathletes to support this Green Triathlon advocacy program launched last year by the International Triathlon Union ( ITU ) during the World Triathlon Championships in Budapest, Hungary," said TRAP president Tom Carrasco. TRAP aims to reduce waste production and pollution in all events through reusing and recycling. The group seeks to meet its modest objective by implementing the paperless registration for the events. The group wants to avoid using envelopes for race packets. It has also come up with a plan on how to segregate trash properly, to use paper cups or recyclable plastic cups, and make all events a strictly no-smoking zone. TRAP also announced its year-round program covering its grassroots development. The nationwide campaign will be held in some of the green fields like Dawal Beach in Candelaria in Zambales, Mamburao in Mindoro, Bohol, and Hamilo Cove in Batangas as new venues for TRAP events. The local governing body in triathlon has partnered with some Local Government Units (LGU's ) as its sports tourism program component. The SPEEDO National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) Series, which will have races in Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Subic, Los Baños, and Alabang, will remain as the core grassroots program. The Subic Bay International Triathlon, now on its 18th year, is the longest longest-running major international triathlon event in the country. It has attracted world-class triathletes and remains as the crown jewel of TRAP's year-round schedule of races. The event will be held this summer. "Our Animo Sprint Triathlon event in Alabang has become the largest sprint triathlon race in the country and it will be expanded this year to include more activities for the participants. We also welcome our long-time partners SPEEDO and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) together with other support sponsors," added Carrasco. TRAP also introduced the members of its current national team composed of young and promising triathletes, some of whom are already veterans of international events. The members of the team are Lea Coline Langit, Kim Mangrobang, Brian Nikko Huelgas, and Philipi Jurolan. Langit and Huelgas set new Philippine records at the last Asian Beach Games in Oman. "We are now on the fourth year of our five-year program aimed at enabling a local triathlete to make it to the 2012 London Olympics, even as we are also looking beyond this, all the way to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympiad in Brazil. We believe we already have the materials. It is just a matter of providing them the proper training and support," added Carrasco. One of the major changes TRAP made this year was the inclusion of well-known conditioning coach Dan Brown. Brown worked as a conditioning coach for some of the teams in the Philippine Basketball Association as well as collegiate basketball leagues. “We will not be event-oriented anymore. We will focus more on the year-round training of our triathletes and give them exposure by having them join the Asian Triathlon Championship in Taipei, Asia Cup races in China, Korea, and Japan, the World Championship in Beijing, and possibly the University games also in China, and the SEA Games, if triathlon will be included. We will also participate in the Asian Duathlon Championship in Thailand," added Carrasco. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV

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