PHL TARGETS GOLD IN ASIAN YOUTH GAMES
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 26 Jul 2013
MANILA (PNA) - The best and brightest products of the country?s youth development program in 13 sports will carry the Philippines? colors in the Second Asian Youth Games Aug. 16-24 in Nanjing, China.
National delegation chef de mission Tac Padilla identified a pair of Filipino-American tracksters, two promising stars in golf, one in shooting, and the national rugby team as the country?s brightest hopes for medals and improve on the solitary silver medal and a bronze brought home by their 2009 predecessors during the first edition of the biennial meet held in Singapore.
?Yes, I can definitely say that this contingent we are sending to Nanjing is capable of bringing home at least a gold medal in the coming AYG, ? Padilla, a bemedalled national shooter, assured in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
Padilla, son of fellow Olympian Tom Ong, rattled in the names of sprint siblings Kayla and Kyla Richardson, par busters Ruperto Zaragosa and Gabby Manotoc, marksman Celdon Jude Arellano and the Arellano and the 11-man rugby squad as most-probable medalists.
?I have been receiving quite positive reports on our rugby team, which its officials and those who have been following their practices and they are swearing that these boys can really pull the rugs from under their would be opponents,? Padilla said.
?Feedbacks reaching me as far as Manotoc and Zaragosa in golf, and the Richardson siblings in track and field are very encouraging, too,? he said. ?Si, Celdon, well, I can say that I?ve watched him struggled from scratch to become the most promising among our new discoveries in shooting, kaya palagay ko ay hindi ako magkakamali kung sabihin kong tiyak makakapag-uwi sila ng medalya. At baka ginto.?
Padilla said the addition of taekwondo in the calendar of events boosted the Philippines? chances for medals after the Taekwondo Association of the Philippines had recommended up-coming jins Francis Aaron Agojo and Pauline Louise Lopez.
Other events the Filipino under-18 athletes are participating are badminton (4 athletes) , basketball (3-on-3) fencing 3), , judo (5), swimming (7), lawn tennis (1) , table tennis (4) and weightlifting (3).
?I am also giving basketball a chance, lagi naman tayong magaling sa sport na ito na our national pastime. Ang problema ko lang, like swimming, eh hjindi pa pinapayagan ng UAAP ang kanila paglahok,? Padilla lamented.
Philippine lineup:
Athletics -- Mary Antihony Diesto, Emily Jean Obiena, Kayala Richardson and Kayla Richardson; Badminton ? Joellla Geva de Vera, Alyssa Ysabel Leonardo, Mark Shelly Alcala, and Alvin Morada; Basketball ? John Paul Cauilan, George Isaac Go, Patrick Ramirez and Henri Lorenzo Subido; Fencing ? Divine Romero, Christian Jhester Concepcion and Gerardo Juan Miguel Hernandez;
Golf ? Clara Amelia Legaspi, Princess Mary Superal, Gabriel Tomas Manotoc and Ruperto Zaragosa III; Judo ? Louise An Mei Baring, Miam Salvador, Renzo Miguel Cazenas., Jann Ken Raquero, Floyd Derek Rillera; Rugby ? Miguel Francisco Ayala, Kingsley Ballesteros, Naimar Candelaria, Terry Boy Cayetano, Julian Viktor Feleo, Andrew William Holgate, Jonel Madrona, Grego George Maleval, Racelk Narvasa, Albert Vincent Rano III and Joshua Louis Whyte;
Shooting ? Amparo Teresa Acuna, Angela Dimaculangan, Ma. Sophia Graciela Reyes, Celdon Jude Arellano and Enrique Gazmin; Swimming ? Catherine Bondad, Kristin Chloe Daos, Anana Herranz, Roxanne Ashely Yu, Jethro Roberts Chua, Jeremy Bryan Lim and Rafael Sta. Maria; Lawn Tennis ? Jorence Zosimo Mendoza; Table Tennis ? Emy Rose Daez, Jamaica Dianne Sy, Ryan Rodney Jacolo and Vence Oliva ; Weightlifting ? Margaret Colonia, Elien Rose Perez, Marco llena; Taekwondo ? Francis Aaron Agojo and Pauline Louise Lopez.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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