Saso named Team Phl flag-bearer in Youth Olympic Games

MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso, who helped the Philippines win two gold medals in golf in the recent Asian Games in Indonesia, will serve as flag-bearer in the third Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

The 17-year-old golfer, whose father is Japanese, wants to strike while her irons are hot.

“That’s the next goal,” said Saso.

The golfer from San Ildefonso, Bulacan won the individual gold medal in women’s golf and teamed up with Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kay Go for the team gold in Indonesia.

The quadrennial event for athletes aged 15 to 18 years is scheduled from Oct. 6 to 18 in Buenos Aires, the cosmopolitan capital city of Argentina.

Also representing the Philippines in the event where archer Luis Gabriel Moreno won the gold in 2014 in Nanjing are Lawrence Everett Tan of fencing, Jann Mari Nayre of table tennis, Nicole Justine Oliva of swimming, Carl Jano Corpus of golf, Christian Tio of sailing and kiteboarding and Nicole Tagle of archery.

Jonne Go will serve as chef-de-mission, and will be joined in Buenos Aires by Philippine Olympic Committee secretary-general Patrick Gregorio.

“I hope this batch of Filipino YOG athletes can also bring home a medal similar to what we had accomplished in the previous YOG,” said Go of the athletes who will leave for Buenos Aires on Oct. 1.