Amaro delivers first gold for PH in SEAG Age Group

June 27 ------ Albert Amaro II delivered a superb performance to give the Philippines its first gold in the 47th Southeast Asian Age Group Aquatics Championships at the WCH Arena in Singapore. Amaro, 18, dazzled after tallying his personal best of 25.15 seconds to beat Indonesia’s Jason Donovan (25.16sec) and rule the 16-18 boys 50m butterfly event.

Singaporean Tedd Chan (25.23sec) snagged the bronze, while Filipino tankers Alexander Eichler (25.28sec) and Jamesray Ajido (25.53sec) fell to the fourth and sixth spots, respectively. In the opener, the Naga, Albay native also bagged a bronze in the 100m butterfly where he timed in 55.72 seconds to break his own personal best and finish behind gold and silver winners Malaysian Li Jie Goh (55.64) and Thai Wongsakorn Patsamarn (55.71).

Shining as well on the second day of the competition was Malabon City’s Sophia Garra who plucked silver in the girls U-13 200mm backstroke after touching the pad in 2 minutes and 24.33 seconds. Garra, the Laoag Palarong Pambansa's most bemedalled athlete with seven golds along with fellow NCR swimmer Titus Sia, went behind Thailand’s Oravee Intaporn (2:20.33) and faster than Singapore’s Yeok Han Ng (2:24.68).

Like Amaro, the 13-year-old Garra got herself a bronze as she registered a personal best of 2:31.37 in the 200m individual medley where Thai swimmers Oravee Intaporn-Udom (2:26.03) and Pimchanok Chinveeraphan (2:27:50) took the higher honors. With their splendid acts, the Philippines now has one gold, one silver and two bronzes in the meet which is joined by the region’s swimming rising stars.

Source: mb.com.ph