Pinoy athletes get Samsung Champ phones

MANILA, Philippines - The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) have yet to begin, but already our representatives to this international multi-sport event for youths from Aug. 14 to 26 are considered champs in their own right:

Swimmer Jessie King Lacuna, 16, swam a brisk 1:50.90, thus breaking Olympian Miguel Molina’s Philippine record of 1:51.79 for the 200m freestyle event, as well as the FINA YOG “A” Standard Time of 1:52.53.

Jasmine Alkhaldi, 16, shares the same coach as Olympic swimmer Akiko Thompson—and her speed: the gold medalist clocked 26.90 in the girl’s 50m freestyle, smashing the previous record of 27.04 set by Shu Yong Ho of Singapore in 2005.

Patricia Dancel-Llena, 16, bagged three gold medals in the World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships last year in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This first Filipino to compete in the World Sub Junior Championship’s under-18 tournament was named the RP flag bearer for the opening ceremonies of the YOG.

Michael Anthony Pate (guard), a LeBron James fan; Jeron Alvin Teng (forward), son of one-time PBA star Alvin Teng; Cris Michael Tolomia (guard), younger brother of former PBA player Chester Tolomiam, and Bobby Rey Parks, Jr., son of ex-PBA import Bobby Parks will play for the Philippine Basketball Team.

Jeson Patrombon, 17, launched his tennis career 10 years ago and considers Novak Gjokovic his champ.

Taekwondo-jin Kirk Barbosa, 15, is the youngest member of the Philippine delegation, but already a “veteran,” having devoted half of his life to the sport.

Samsung, world leader in electronics and a proud supporter of key sporting events like the Olympic Games, Asian Games, UAAP, and the YOG, presents these nine champs with the Samsung Champ (GT-C3303K), a mobile phone designed for young individuals who want to make the transition to a touch screen unit. Available in deep black, espresso brown, sweet pink or chic white, this device boasts a 2.4-inch full-touch display that makes it ideal for texting friends, downloading apps (from Samsung Apps), or playing Java-based video games. User-friendly with its simple yet intuitive menu format, the Samsung Champ features a built-in wireless FM radio, 3D sound effects, and a dual load speaker. Techies will also appreciate its Bluetooth function, micro SD card slot with a massive 8GB memory, 1.3 megapixel built-in camera, and long battery life. A headset and charger come with every Samsung Champ.

“With the launch of the Samsung Champ, we will strengthen our leadership within the overall touch screen handset category,” says Glenn Glinoga, director of Samsung Mobile, Philippines. “The Champ is a perfect option for mobile users who want to snap up a full touch phone for the first time. With the perfect marriage of technology, design and price, the Samsung Champ will surely be the touch phone all bar users will be tempted to switch to.”