PH Swim Team lalarga para sa SEA Age Championship.

TUTULAK patungong Jakarta, Indonesia ngayong hapon (Agosto 22) ang 32-man Philippine delegation – 19 swimmers, 4 divers, 6 coaches at 3 officials – upang makilahok sa 45th Southeast Asian Age Group Aquatics Championship na nakatakda sa Agosto 24-26.

Pangungunahan nina National junior record holder sa 13-under class Jamesray Ajido at 2022 World Junior Championship campaigner Amina Isabelle Bungubung ang koponan na nabuo sa pamamagitan ng masinsin na National tryouts na isinagawa ng bagong pamunuan sa Philippine Aquatics sa pamumuno nina president Miko Vargas at Secretary-General Eric Buhain.

“We are sending a lean team but with a high chance of winning medals for our country. This is the first SEA Age Group team under the new administration of Philippine Aquatics. On behalf of our President Michael Vargas, we are proud of our team, and we are very happy that swimming is very active nationwide given the diversity of hometowns of our team,” pahayag ni Buhain, Olympian at Congressman ng Unang Distrito ng Batangas.

Bukod kina Ajido at Bungubung na kapwa nagmula sa Quezon City, kabilang din sa koponan sina Mishka Sy, Jalid Taguinod; Makati City pride Ivo Nikolai Enot, Joshua Park mula sa Paranaque City, Aishel Evangelista ng Caloocan City, Estifano Ramos at Lance Rafael Cruz mula sa Manila, Patricia Mae Santor at Shairinne Floriano ng Antipolo City, gayundin si Peter Cyrus Dean ng Quezon Province.

Kasama rin sa koponan sina Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig mula sa Midsayap, North Cotabato; kinatawan ng Mabalacat, Pampanga si Catherine Cruz, nagmula sa Pasig City si  Arabella Taguinota, habang kapwa nagmula sa Aklan sina Bea Mabalay at Jennuel Boo De Leon. Masusubok din ang kahandaan ng US-based Filipino-foreigner na sina Clark Kent Apuada at Ava Samantha Bautista.

Gagabayan naman ang mga batang divers na bibigyan ng kasanayan at exposure ni coach Marie Dimanche.

Itinalaga naman ni Buhain bilang head coach si Ramil Ilustre, kasama ang mga assistant na sina Cyrus Alcantara, Manuel De Leon Mark Pido, at Wilfredo Cruz, habang head of delegation si Chito Rivera at deputy si coach Anthony Reyes.

“Lean but quality team. It’s a smaller team compared last year, but lahat ito palaban dahil kwalipikado lahat sa standard time. Hopefully they land all in the top eight and podium finish. We are hoping for the best, mataas ang expectation sa new leadership ng ating aquatics kaya ipagdasal nyo ang buong team,” sambit ni Rivera, Executive Director din ng Philippine Aquatics. (HATAW Sports).