■ Ofelia C. Empian
Baguio boy Hussein Loraña has pushed the boundary one more time, as he broke his own national junior 400-meter record with 4.98 seconds time at the latest Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) and CEL Logistic, Inc. weekly relays.
Loraña’s previous record was 47.99 seconds, outrunning Vince Buhayan of Mapua University who got silver with 48.72 and John Rio from Emilio Aguinaldo College who completed the podium with 50.04 time.
This will be the third time for Loraña to break the national junior 400-m. record this year.
The first was in August with 48.70 from 48.75 then in September with 47.99, also in the weekly relays set in Pasig City.
The Grade 12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics student at Adamson University Manila also holds the 800-mm. national junior record of one minute and 49.85 se-conds.
He shattered the national junior 800-m. record previously held by then PH junior athlete now coach Felizardo Sardenia during the Taipei Open in Changhua City, Taiwan on May 28, 1989.
The rising star is a product of Apolinario Mabini Elementary School and the University of Baguio High School, and is trained by his coach and father, Bonifacio Loraña, who was also an athletics national team member.
The young athlete started to win medals in the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy from 2015 to 2019.
Loraña’s twin brother Hassan, also a national athlete, has clinched the se-cond spot in the under 20 boys 1,500-m. title with four minutes and 10.14 time against Teolou Papel’s 4:10.8 seconds time in the weekly relays.
The twin brothers have an older brother, Yussef, who is also a national athlete, which Hussein cre-dits as one of his inspirations in getting into the sport.
“My goal is to join and win in higher competitions and proudly wave our own flag,” he said.
