Showcasing the bright future of Philippine sports.
Last Tuesday, November 10 (Manila time), Naomi Cesar secured the Philippines’ first medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal.
The 17-year-old clocked in a time of 2 minutes and 9.34 seconds in the Women’s 800m finals to secure a silver medal.
In his statement, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol Tolentino” expressed his pride in the grassroots program.
“I couldn’t be prouder to see how far Naomi has come. From discovering her raw talent early on to watching her first make massive waves at the Asian Youth Games, dominate the SEA Games, and now conquer the world stage—she is living proof of what true dedication and the right support system can achieve,” he wrote.
For him, hearing Naomi’s dedication to every Filipino kid reminds the POC why they continue to invest heavily in grassroots sports development.
Meanwhile, Pi Durden Forward Wangkay competed in the finals of the Men’s 200m event on Wednesday, November 11 (Manila time).
The 17-year-old sprinter went all-in on the game and dashed for the country in a thrilling spectacle, where he was able to set his personal best time of 21.355 seconds to secure a bronze medal.
For Tolentino, in a separate post, the future of the Philippine tracks is “well-alive and bright.”
According to him, “Pi is a living testament to our grassroots program and he has proven time and time again that he belongs on the global stage.”
He also mentioned the young athlete’s prior gold medal finish in Bahrain, with his bronze medal finish in the Youth Olympic Games being a “clear indicator that his potential, talent, and skills can level with the regular Olympic Games.”
He also noted that the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is “looking fast” and vowed to keep on believing that Filipino athletes will “blaze the trail.”
