Shown here are (from left) Jesu Matteo Manalo, Enzo Elpidio Santos, Aliaksandra Tsekanovich, and Ross Geoffrey Llaneta.
The future of Philippine rowing looked even brighter with the addition of three young foreign-based talents to the national team under Belarusian coach Aliaksandra Tsekhanovich.
The rowers, born overseas to Filipino parents, graced Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) media room.
They are Ross Llaneta from New Zealand, 15; Enzo Santos from the United States, 17; and Jesu Matteo Manalo from Canada, 17. They have been training in the country for three weeks.
“We have our targets and we’re working hard. They are improving every day, every row. We all dream big together – one dream,” said the Belarusian coach.
They are being groomed for the Asian Under-19 Championships to be held in India from Dec. 1 to 7, and underwent rigid training at the La Mesa Dam and were quartered at Philsports in Pasig. They will leave on Aug. 16 and return to their home base.
“But we will track their performances through GPS,” said national team coach Maricon Fornea, referring to the satellite-based technology for on-water performance monitoring.
“We have yet to determine the other members of the team to the Asian Championships,” added Fornea in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7sports app ArenaPlus.
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio aired high hopes on the latest additions to the national team, referring to them as “future Olympians and part of the future of Philippine rowing.”
Manalo vowed to “give my best” for the Philippines, a sentiment that was echoed by Santos and Llaneta who promised to “make the country proud.”
“Our search for rowing talents continues,” added Gregorio, who last June celebrated the country’s impressive showing (three golds and one silver) in the Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.
Emman Pillar bagged the gold in the Under-16 Coastal men’s solo and the coastal men’s double skulls with Kyle Olano, while Ayonna Huerto and Khayzie Caviltes struck gold in the Under-19 women’s doubles skulls.
Matt Jugadora pocketed the silver in the Under-19 coastal men’s solo.
“These are stunning, positive developments for Philippine rowing,” added Gregorio, who was president of the Philippine Rowing Association before he became PSC chairman in July last year.