The Philippine Rowing Association (PRA) continues to develop its athletes who could potentially represent the country in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The PRA, bannered by Paris Olympian Joanie Delgaco, recently recruited three foreign-based teen rowers in Enzo Elpidio Santos (17), Ross Geoffrey Llaneta (15), and Jesu Mattero Manalo (17) who are all projected to spearhead the juniors team – and hopefully, to the seniors level – for a number of international competitions in the future.

Aside from the troika, the PRA also appointed 29-year-old Aliaksandra Tsekhanovich of Belarus, a former rower herself, earlier this year, believing her modern approaches and techniques could help the young guns keep pace with global standards.

For Tsekhanovich, who was a regular podium finisher in European and World Championships in the early 2010s, developing a separate age-group program is vital as it ensures the availability of athletes in successive generations.

“We need to have different groups, different levels,” said Tsekhanovich during Tuesday’s PSA Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

“Right now, we’re establishing our U19 program because these athletes will be our future U23 rowers. They need to gain experience early so that, by the time they reach the international level, they’ll be ready,” added Tsekhanovich, who is also aiming to increase the number of recruits in the program.

The challenge, however, is the limited number of races in Asia compared to Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, leaving Team Philippines with no choice but to compete in as many races as possible in other parts of the globe.

“That's why we need more races. Unfortunately, in Asia, we don't have so many competitions for our sport. It's like one or two competitions a year if we're lucky,” Tsekhanovich continued. “That's why it's an important start for us and it's an important step to our bright future as a rowing team in the Philippines.”

“I hope that if we will really improve the program and recruit more and have more junior athletes, we can build a bigger crew, stronger team,” she added.

Santos, Llaneta, and Manalo, who share the dream of donning the Philippine colors on the grandest sporting stage, the Olympics, are set for a training camp here alongside fellow youth rowers Ayonna Huerto, Khayzie Caviltes, Kyle Olano, Matt Jugadora, and Emman Pilar.

Pillar, Huerto, Caviltes, Olano, and Pilar were among the gold winners for the Filipino rowers in the Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in Pattaya, Thailand last June.

They are set to participate in this year’s Asian Rowing Under-19 (U19) Championship which will be staged in Hyderabad, India this December.

Meanwhile, Delgaco and Cris Nievarez lead the Philippine rowing squad that will be competing in the coming Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games in Japan next month. Coach Tsekhanovich is joining the contingent.

Two years ago, Delgaco made history for the Philippines after becoming the first-ever female rower from the Philippines to compete in the Summers Games which was held in France.