21st SEA Games: RP swimmers hunggry for recognitio

KUALA LUMPUR - Inilarawan ni head coach Eric Buhain ang kanyang 8-man swimming team na ‘young, lean, mean and hungry for recognition’ na sasabak sa Southeast Asian Games na magbubukas ang aksiyon sa Linggo sa National Aquatic Sports Complex.

"With an average age of 18, they’re quite young and raring to go. They’re also hungry (sa medalya)," pahayag ni Buhain na dati ring national athlete at SEA Games swimming champion.

Pangungunahan ni 1999 Brunei SEA Games veteran Juan Carlo Piccio at Lizza Danila na nanalo ng tig-isang silver medal sa Brunei kung saan ang mga Pinoy tankers ay nag-uwi ng tatlong silver.

Ang iba pang miyembro ng men’s squad ay sina Sydney Olympian Miguel Mendoza, Miguel Molina at Mark Kalaw habang ang women’s team ay binubuo nina Jenny Guerrero, Lynette Ang at Lucia Dacanay.

Ang Sydney Olympian na si Danila na nag-training sa Victoria Institute of Sport sa Brisbane, Australia ng dalawang taon ay ang inaasahang makakuha ng gold medal, ayon kay Buhain.

"Lizza timed 1:03 in the 100 back at a short course (25 metro) and the best in this Games over the regular 50-meter pool is 1:05.7. So on the course she could swim around 1:04 which gives us a strong chance for the gold," aniya.

Para kay Buhain, si Piccio, miyembro ng University of Cincinnati varsity swimming team, ang pinakamalakas na entry sa 1,500-freestyle, ang event kung saan nakawala ang gold medal sa Brunei Sea Games dahil kinapos ito ng isang segundo.

Umaasa rin si Buhain na makaka-gold ang women’s 4x100-meter, women’s individual medley at men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Ang Myanmar men’s team, Singapore sa pamumuno ng Brunei Games multiple gold medalist Jocelyn Yeo ang mahigpit na makakalaban ng RP squad.