PH swimmers off to Brunei for SEA Age Group Championships

FILE: Joining Newberry in the tournament for swimmers 18 years old and below are De La Salle-Zobel’s Maurice Sacho Illustre and Nicole Pamintuan. (Photo: Bhay Newberry/Facebook)

MANILA — Bhay Newberry will banner Team Philippines in the 41st Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group Championships that will take place at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex pool in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on November 10-12.

Joining Newberry in the tournament for swimmers 18 years old and below are De La Salle-Zobel’s Maurice Sacho Illustre and Nicole Pamintuan.

Also competing are Rafael Barreto, Philip Joaquin Santos, Ianiko Limfilipino, Gabriel Guerrero, David Franco dela Rosa, Akiva Cariño, Mark Jiron Rotoni, Ethan Roy Go, Perry Chua, Maenard Batnag, Jalil Taguinod, Kirsten Chloe Daos, Regina Castrillo, Xiandi Chua, Althea Baluyot, Zoe Hilario, Thanya Dela Cruz, Camille Buico, Samantha Coronel, Naomi Locala, Ricielle Melencio and Kirsten Tan.

The swimmers, who left for Brunei on Wednesday, were accompanied by coaches Sherwyn John Santiago, Jenny Guerrero, Ma. Cristina Elena de Guzman, Garry Domingo, and Mar Casas.

Newberry delivered the country’s only gold medal in the 2016 edition of the SEA Swimming Age Group Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

Illustre and Pamintuan were among the 11 bronze medalists in the Thailand competition where the Philippines also captured 10 silvers.

Ilustre is the most bemedalled among the Filipino competitors in the 2017 ASEAN School Games in Singapore where he bagged four golds in July this year. He also won seven gold medals in the Palarong Pambansa in Antique in May.

Pamintuan is a member of the women’s 4×200 meters relay team that won the bronze medal in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last August. (PNA)