FIVE national junior record holders, led by Cambodia Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Teia Salvino, have qualified to compete in the 9th World Aquatics Junior Championships slated September 4 to 9 in Netanya, Israel.
In a memorandum dated July 23, 2023, signed by the World Aquatics-backed Philippine Swimming, Inc. secretary general Batangas Rep. Eric Buhain, the five achieved the minimum 680 WA points’ standard in the qualifying period from May 1, 2022, to July 30, 2023.
“Congratulations to all the qualifiers, their coaches and parents,” said Buhain, a two-time Olympian and Philippine Sports Hall-of-Famer.
Salvino, who qualified in six events – 50m and 100m backstroke, 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, and 100m butterfly – opted not to join the team in preparation for the Asian Games slated September 28 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
The 15-year-old is a shoo-in for the Philippine Asian Games’ team after winning the women’s 100m backstroke event and resetting the national record at 1:01.64 in the Cambodia SEA Games last May.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino has already announced that gold and silver medalists in the SEAG are automatically included in the Asiad team.
“Right after the memorandum was sent to the Philippine aquatics family, we received a report that Thea (Salvino) could not make it to Israel World Junior as she is currently in training for the Asian Games,” said PSI Executive Committee member Chito Rivera.
With Salvino out of the picture, the chances of the national team now rest on the shoulders of other qualifiers Jasmine Mojdeh (100m butterfly), Heather White (50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle), Gian Santos (100m, 200m and 400m freestyle), and Filipino-German Alexander Eichler (100m and 200m butterfly).
Mojdeh, 17, holder of junior records in the 13-under; and the 16-year-old White, holder of the national record in the 15-under 50-m freestyle (26.83), are part of the Philippine Team during last year’s World in Lima, Peru, with the Fil-Iranian making history after advancing to the semifinals of the 400m backstroke. The two are in intensive training at Aquatics Academy in Seattle, USA.
Buhain said the PSI will shoulder the airfare (Manila-Israel-Manila), board and lodging in Israel, and team uniforms of the athletes.
“We would like to thank the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the World Aquatics for their equivocal support to Philippine aquatics,” stressed Buhain.