Cebuana swimmer set for Batang Pinoy debut

Sports

A 10-YEAR-OLD swimmer from Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City is set for her maiden appearance in the Batang Pinoy National Pinoy Championships.

Adrianna Erika Ching, fondly called Yna, delivered an outstanding performance in the recent 3rd Cebu Race Pace Swimming Competition at the Cebu City Sports Center, paving the way for her entry to the Batang Pinoy set this December in Bacolod City

A member of the Hydro Immersion Swimming Team, Yna harvested seven gold medals in her recent competition ruling the 100-meter fly, 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 50m fly, 50m freestyke, 100m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m breaststroke competitions of the 10-11 age category.

The Grade 5 student of Childlink Learning Center and Childlink High School Inc. went on to win the prestigious “Most Outstanding Swimmer” award in her category.

In winning seven gold medals, Yna also met the qualifying times for the swimming event of the Batang Pinoy.

“She met all the qualifying time standards in all of the seven distances that she competed in but she will only choose five for the Batang Pinoy,” Yna’s father Eric said.

While Yna has been winning gold medals in local and international competitions, it will be the first time that she will be competing in the Batang Pinoy after the age qualification for the national competition was lowered to 8-15, down from the previous 12-17 or 18-and-Under limits.

“I’m excited for Batang Pinoy. I’m excited to compete there because I can meet new friends,” said Yna, who is coached by Ryan Galo and Danica Galo.

Before her stellar run in the Cebu City competition, Yna also scored a resounding success in the Asian Open Schools Invitational Long Course Swimming Championships early this year in Bangkok, Thailand.

In that competition, Yna bagged three gold medals, five silvers, and one bronze–a remarkable performance that netted her the prestigious 2nd Top Swimmer Award in the 10-year-old girls category.(CCM)