Fourteen from a field of over 300 swimmers made a lot of heads turn at the conclusion of the FINIS Short Course National Finals held over the weekend at the New Clark City Aquatis Center in Capas, Tarlac.
Those who stood out — aged 8 to 19 — came from Tarlac, Davao, Iloilo and Pangasinan but it was the entry from North Mindanao that glowed with a total of 425.5 points.
Megakraken of the Visayas placed second with 365 and Dax Swm of Luzon came in third with 315.
Through their events and programs, FINIS Philippines managing director Vince Garcia is hopeful that more Filipino swimmers will be provided a chance to compete in a global type of environment.
“I want to inspire our young swimmers, that’s my long-time dream. I want to see them compete in a tournament that is of international standards,” Garcia said.
For her part, Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and chief executive officer Aileen Zosa said that BCDA and FINIS Philippines share a common goal of nurturing Filipino athletes to perform and achieve their highest potential by providing them with programs and modern sports facilities.
The New Clark City Aquatics Center is the only Fédération Internationale de Natation approved swimming facility in the Philippines.
It can seat 2,000 spectators and has a diving pool, which were designed and installed by Myrtha Pools, an official FINA partner.
New Clark City served as the main venue of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where the athletics and aquatics events were held.
