Around 440 swimmers from 66 swimming clubs signed up for the Luzon National tryouts for the Philippine team that would participate in the Southeast Asian Age Group Championships.
The tryouts fired off on Thursday, July 7, at the Teofilo Ildefonso swimming pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, and will end on Sunday, July 9.
According to event organizer coach Chito Rivera, the fifth place winning time in the previous SEA Age Group tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will serve as the qualifying standard time for all events in the tryouts.
“During our meeting, PSI Secretary General Rep. Eric Buhain suggested na yung 5th place time ang gamitin nating qualifying time standard para mas mabigyan natin ng chance ang mga bata na alam naman nating karamihan ay hindi nakapag-participate sa ganitong tryouts before,” Rivera said.
The 2023 SEA Age Group Championship will be held on Aug. 24 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Rivera added that swimmers who weren’t able to reach the qualifying standard would still have a chance to join other National tryouts for Luzon and Visayas on July 21 to 23 in Ilocos Norte and Dumaguete City. The Mindanao leg is set July 22 to 23.
“It’s an open tryout. Kung masama ang langoy, puwedeng bumawi dahil may tatlo pang try outs,” Rivera said.
Buhain, meanwhile, stressed that they have already started reorganizing the Philippine Swimming Inc. under its new leadership in Miko Vargas.
“We’re not just looking after the welfare of athletes in the regular swimming, but also kasama sa ating responsibilidad ang mga atleta sa diving, water polo, artistic swimming, gayundin ang open water,” Buhain said.