PH SWIMMERS. Philippine team members (from left) Jerard Dominic Jacinto, Xandi Chua, Thanya Angelyn Dela Cruz, Jasmine Alkhaldi, and Jarod Hatch pose at the competition venue of the 20th World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on July 22, 2023. Jacinto, Chua and Hatch will join the national tryouts this month at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila. (Contributed photo by Ryan Paolo Arabejo)
MANILA – Filipino-Canadian Kayla Sanchez and Filipino-American Jarod Hatch, part of the Paris Olympics 2024 team, will join the Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) national trials this month at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Cambodia 2023 Southeast Games (SEAG) champions Teia Salvino (100m backstroke) and Xiandi Chua (200m backstroke); Vietnam 2021 SEAG gold medalist Chloe Isleta (200m backstroke); 2024 Asian Age Group Championships gold medalist Jamesray Ajido (100m butterfly) and bronze medalists Jasmine Micaela Mojdeh and Heather White; and 2023 World Aquatics Championships campaigner Jerard Dominic Jacinto are also participating in the Aug. 15 to 18 and 20 to 23 trials.
“We welcome them, arms wide open and thankful that Fil-foreign athletes are now showing a big desire to join our national pool," PAI secretary general Batangas 1st District Rep. Eric Buhain said in a news release.
"And now they're coming and willing to be evaluated by PAI. If they're truly good, they will join the national pool. We will no longer be swayed by reports of fast times by scouts and managers, we must see them to believe. The same goes for our homegrown swimmers from all over the Philippines,” the two-time Olympian and Philippine Sports Hall-of-Famer added.
Sanchez finished seventh in Heat 2 of the semifinals and 15th overall in Paris while Hatch’s bid in the men's 100-meter butterfly event ended with a last-place finish in the preliminary heat at Paris La Defense Arena.
The tryouts for short (25m) and long (50m) courses will select the members of the national team for this year’s World Aquatics World Cup series (25m) and 46th Southeast Asian Age Group Championships; and next year’s World Aquatics Championships (50m) in Singapore.
The World Cup will be held in Shanghai, China on Oct. 18 to 20 (Series 1); Incheon, South Korea on Oct. 24 to 26 (Series 2); and Singapore on Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 (Series 3), with the championships set Dec. 10 to 15 in Budapest, Hungary.
The 46th SEA Age Group Championships is slated on Dec. 6 to 8 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“No exception. Everybody must swim. The presence of our elite swimmers like Kayla (Sanchez) and Jarold (Hatch) would inspire our young contenders,” Buhain said.
The PAI wants to form a strong national team not only in swimming but also in open water, diving, water polo and artistic swimming.
The men’s and women’s water polo and diving teams are training at the Philippine Sports Commission in Pasig City while the open water swimming tryouts for Visayas and Mindanao athletes were held in Mati City, Davao Oriental in June. (PNA)
