New kids on pool’s starting block

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — Forget the gold.

With six new finds culled from the national developmental pool and two foreign-trained tankers in his lineup, Japanese coach Ishikawa Ryuzu is not promising a golden performance for this year’s national swimming team in the XXIst Southeast Asian Games.

"All I can say is these swimmers can win 11 medals," said Ryuzu, whose services were acquired by the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association under the Philippines-Japan exchange program two years ago.

When Ryuzu worked on the national coaching staff, he found himself dealing with age groupers who have excelled either in the Palarong Pambansa or in some club tournaments. His job was train an initial pool of 14 young swimmers and he eventually chose six of these to make up the national team to the Malaysian Games. They were joined by US-trained Carlo Piccio and Australian-based Lizza Danila.

The team includes Lynette Ang, Lucia Dacanay, Mark Kalaw, Jenny Guerrero, Miguel Molina and Miguel Mendoza.

"This is a new generation of swimmers, that’s why we are not putting so much pressure on them. Give them two more years," said PASA secretary general Ral Rosario.

Rosario, 200m freestyle gold medalist in the 1978 Asian Games, said he is giving the new swimmers more time to blossom, and his timetable culminates in the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam.

The swimming association started on a new national pool two years ago after the retirement of two-time SEAG backstroke champion Ryan Papa. Since then, the developmental players have exceeded national records.

"If the program continues, we could expect them to win the gold in the SEA Games or Asian Games," said Rosario. "What is important now is that we have started with a pool and we hope to sustain the program for as long as finances can hold."

Piccio, son of a Bacolod businessman, has flown in from the United States where he has earned a swimming scholarship in the University of Connecticut. Piccio, 20, will compete in the 400 and 200 individual medley and in his favorite event and the 1500 meter freestyle.

The other Filipino bets and their events are Guerrero (200IM, 100m and 200m breaststroke) Danila (100m and 200m backstroke, 200m and 400m freestyle), Dacanay (100m and 200m butterfly, 100m backstroke), Kalaw (400m freestyle), Molina (50m freestyle, 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke) and Ang (100m freestyle)

Singapore wonder girl Joscelyn Yeo is returning to the Games to defend her title in 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle and is anchoring the Singaporean team in two relay events.