Teens take over

The Southeast Asian Games are upon us, and the Philippines is sending its largest-ever delegation to the biennial competition. Among those competing are several teenagers who are playing for flag and country overseas for the first time. It is both a privilege and responsibility that they take very seriously. On the local front, there are also many youth who are already making names for themselves and are already veteran internationalists.

Sophia Dignadice and Sarah Heyn, basketball. Seventeen-year old Dignadice, daughter of nine-time PBA champion Yves Dignadice, and her 18-year-old teammate Heyn, will suit up for the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s five-on-five team in Bangkok. The 5’7” point guard Dignadice will be hoping to replicate her father’s gold-medal experience 40 years later, while the 5’9” shooting guard Heyn, is following her sister Sydney, is likewise making her national team debut.

“Sophia is my best shooter, and Sarah is my best defender,” says the elder Dignadice, who has been coaching them to a virtually undefeated record in California high school basketball. “They’re both tough, and this will be a good experience for them.”

Sarah has committed to the University of California at Santa Barbara, while Sophia will be attending California State University, Northridge.

Sep Blessee Placido, athletics. Barely scratching the age of 18, University of the East race walker Placido has already smashed records in the UAAP. She reset her own marks in the girls’ 2,000-meter and 5,000-meter events this season, and will be competing in the 20,000-meter event in Thailand. She won the gold in that same category in the Singapore All Comers Meet this year. She has bounced back well from a nullified Palarong Pambansa gold due to a faulty measurement at the competition venue last year.

Rhose Almendralejo and Brianna Nikola Ang, volleyball. Almendralejo, who is heading to college at National University, was most recently awarded Outstanding Athlete for Ball Games and Athlete of the Year by the Department of Education. Almendralejo has already represented the Philippines multiple times in youth competitions, and has been a top scorer in the Asian Youth Games. She has also been Most Valuable Player and Best Outside Hitter in multiple tournaments. 

Middle blocker Ang, for her part, was named Palarong Pambansa Sports Icon by DepEd, and has committed to Ateneo de Manila University. She has been a crowd favorite in the Thumderbolts’ run all over the Visayas. Both are 5’9” and are products of the incredibly successful Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts Volleybelles, program, which businessman and philanthropist Jose Montalbo has developed over the past 14 years. 

It seems that the future of Philippine sports will be secure, as these powerhouse athletes will be serving the country for a long time to come.