i TV Pinoy

Source: gmanews.tv

-- Four young tankers who earned berths to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be among the 16-man swimming team to be sent to the 25th Laos SEA Games on Dec. 9-18 in Laos.

Sixteen-year-old bets Jose Gonzales and Jasmine Alkhaldi, 15-year-old Jessie Lacuna and 17-year-old Banjo Borja will lend a fresh face to the RP swimming crew out to match if not surpass the country’s eight-gold medal feat in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games.

The Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA), however, will have to bankroll the stints of these youngsters as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the government’s sports arm, has maintained it will only fund six tankers (medalists of previous competitions) for the Laos meet.

"A lot of new faces are emerging from other countries and this was evident during the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam where a number of swimmers were in their early teens," said national swimming coach Pinky Brosas.

According to Brosas, Gonzales, Alkhaldi, Lacuna and Borja deserve to go to the Laos SEAG, having proven their worth by qualifying to the Youth Olympics next year in Singapore. Aside from this, Brosas said sending the young swimmers to major meets is in keeping with the International Olympic Committee’s youth development thrusts.

"While it looks like we are sending them to the SEA Games for exposure, in reality it's not. Qualifying in the Youth Olympics means they are capable of showing up against their elders in so far as winning medals is concerned even in an open competition like the SEA GAmes," explained Brosas.

Molina as anchor

The swimming team, however, will definitely be banking on the efforts of veterans Miguel Molina, Ryan Arabejo, James Walsh and Daniel Coakley, who accounted for all the eight gold medals won the last time around in Thailand.

Olympian Molina collared three individual gold medals in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m breast stroke events while joining hands with Arabejo, Walsh and Coakley for the 4x100m freestyle gold. For his feat, Molina emerged as the Best Male Athlete in the tournament.

For his part, Arabejo won two gold medals in 2007 in the 200m back and 200m freestyle; Walsh topped the 200m butterfly and Coakley dominated the 50m free.

Also in the Laos-bound RP swim team are Fil-Ams Robert Walsh, Charles Walker and Kendrick Uy for the men’s squad and Erica Totten, Jasmine Ong, Dorothy Hong, Heidi Ong and Ma. Georgina Gandionco for the women's crew.

"This team can easily win at least six gold medals. Our boys and girls team are prepared for Laos that we are confident we can surpass the eight gold medals won in Thailand," said Brosas.

Singapore, which grabbed the overall title in pool events with 11 gold medals, looms as the country's toughest opponent while Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia are also expected to send formidable tankers.