La Salle Dasmariñas hosts 37th leg of PSL Swim Circuit

MANILA, Philippines - La Salle Dasmariñas is hosting the 37th leg of the Philippine Swimming League Circuit slated Jan. 27 at Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Gerardo Sergio III, La Salle Dasmariñas director for sports development, and PSL president Susan Papa recently formalized the agreement making the La Salle Dasmariñas swimming center the venue of the first leg of the 2013 PSL Circuit.

The competition, open to all male and female swimmers with ages five to 17-18 and above, will be participated in by 45 teams with 500 swimmers from the Bicol region, Olongapo, Pampanga, Zambales, Cavite, Batangas, Malabon, Laguna, Baguio, Novaliches, Marikina, Caloocan, Lucena, Quezon City, Antipolo, Pasay, Pasig, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Mindoro and Palawan.

Sergio said the school is hosting the competition as part of its expanded sports program aimed at developing outstanding swimmers for collegiate leagues in the south and eventually in the UAAP and the Universiade, the Olympics of university students.

La Salle Dasmariñas is sending seven swimmers to the Universiade, a biennial conclave with 166 countries participating, slated in Kazan, Russia in July.

While a national pool has already been formed to select the national team, Papa said the PSL welcomes all others wishing to join the swimming competition, which serves as the final selection for the Universiade.

“Everybody is welcome to compete,” said Papa, saying the event, like all other PSL swim meets, is open to everybody, member or non-member.

The PSL is the recognized national university sports federation for universities and colleges by the Federation of Sports Schools Associations of the Philippines (FESSAP), the recognized country member of the International Sports Union for Universities (FISU), which holds the Universiade.

“We have set up monthly competitions to bring grassroots swimmers to competitive level and make them elite athletes in the future,” said Papa. “So far we have developed the best female backstroker, breaststroker and butterfliers in the land. And we have a lot of young swimmers who are potential freestylers.”

The top three finishers will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, while trophies will be awarded to the most outstanding boys and girls in each age category based on records broken.