PH sports community mourns death of bemedalled athlete

Sports

THE tragic death of bemedalled athlete Mervin Guarte sent shockwaves through the Philippine sports community.

“Too soon, too painful,” Cebuano Olympian Mary Joy Tabal said in a Facebook post.

Guarte, a Southeast Asian Games multi-medalist, died after he was stabbed by a still-unidentified assailant inside the house of a barangay councilor in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

The attack happened past 4 a,.m. on Tuesday, January 7.

Police said Guarte was asleep when the attacker barged

in and stabbed him in the chest.

Guarte, 33, was able to seek help from neighbors, who brought him to a hospital where the athlete eventually died.

“Met Mervin Guarte during my early years in my running career, and he became a friend with an honest heart. He was full of potential, a hard working athlete who transitioned from a champion middle-distance runner to a champion OCR (obstacle course racing) athlete,” Tabal said.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) acknowledged Guarte’s contribution to Philippine sports.

“The Philippine sports community mourns the untimely death of Mervin Guarte, a long-time member of the national team and a multi-medalist from the Southeast Asian Games. Rest in peace! Thank you for your service to the country,” the PSC posted on its social media page.

Top Filipino pole vaulter EJ Obeina was also shocked with Guarte’s untimely demise.

“I just learned the devastating news of the shocking death of my friend and national teammate, Kuya Mervin Guarte. May his soul rest in peace, and I am sending my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” Obiena said.

As a middle-distance runner in athletics, Guarte won silver medals in the men’s 800- and 1500 meters of the 2011 SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. He also held the national record of the 4x800m along with teammates Wenley Maulas, Paul Billones and Christopher Ulboc.

Guarte shifted to obstacle course racing and won the gold medal in the men’s five-kilometer race of the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.

He was also a gold medalist in the men’s team relay at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia and a 2024 Spartan Asia Pacific Champion in the men’s beast 21km event.

“Mourning for one of our medalist athletes from Patafa (Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association) to obstacle course racing for his untimely demise," said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Bambol Tolentino.(CCM)