MANILA -- The Philippine diving team is bringing in a young core for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the country will host from November 30 to December 11 this year, its manager, Marie Dimanche, said Thursday.
"We have Joseph Reynado, Kiel Calupas, and Rose Ann Ocmer," she said.
Dimanche was at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as one of the guests in the press launch of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, which will take place next week in El Nido.
She also bared that a fourth member could be added to the team.
"We also have Monique Demaisip, but she's training in the United States," Dimanche said, adding that two more divers could be included in the final lineup for the SEA Games.
Among those being considered is Fil-Aussie Xantheia Pennisi, the first diver of Filipino descent to compete in the Cliff Diving World Series, although Dimanche said the team will still look at her credentials.
"We have to review because cliff diving is different. In FINA, we have to dive five dives in girls. Hindi ko pa kasi alam yung dive list niya. Kasi sa cliff diving, apat lang (I still don’t know their dive list because in cliff diving, there are only four)," she said.
But right now, her concern is the fact that the team is composed of teenagers.
"Tayo yung pinakabata (we are the youngest). They just turned 15. The other athletes from Southeast Asia are in their 20s right now," Dimanche quipped.
This led her team to have a modest target for this year.
"Our medal target is two golds and some silvers kasi hindi namin ma-represent ang lahat ng events kasi bata pa nga sila (because we cannot represent all the events because they’re still young)," Dimanche bared.
The team is set to go to China for further training while awaiting invites for various competitions that could help them in their buildup for the SEAG.
"We're looking at FINA events. Because if FINA, it's like everyone from around the world will have a diver. Mas malaki yung experience nila (They have more experience) from that competition compared to an Asian competition," she said. (PNA)
