MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will send a competitive team to the Hangzhou Asian Games this September while Carlos Yulo and two others focus on the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships set at almost the same period in Antwerp, Belgium where they seek spots to next year’s Paris Olympics.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion Norton said Yulo would train in Japan while Aleah Finnegan and Kyla Kvamme in the United States after the three secured slots to the World tilt via the Asian Championships in Singapore last week.
“They’re focusing on the World Championships now,” said Carrion Norton during yesterday’s briefer hosted and attended by Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann and commissioner Bong Coo at the agency’s Malate, Manila office.
Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games gold winners Juancho Miguel Besana and John Ivan Cruz, for their part, will spearhead the men’s and women’s squads wading into battle in Hangzhou where the country hopes to deliver a historic medal in the sport.
The women’s team will comprise of Asian Championship silver medalist Emma Lauren Malabuyo, Ancilla Lucia Mari Manzano, Kursten Rogue Lopez and Lucia Gabriel Guttierez with Naomi Soco as their coach.
“I hope Miguel and Ivan can do the job,” said Carrion Norton.
But for it to happen, Besana and Cruz would need to train alongside Yulo under the latter’s Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya.
“For the men, I want to send them to Japan to be coached by Mune (Kugimiya), he is willing to coach them. That’s why I’m pleading to chairman Bachmann to help us,” said Carrion Norton.
For Yulo, he is confident the national team could get the job done even without him.
“Hindi ko po sinasabi na hindi mahirap, pero sobra laki chance nila mag medal,” said Yulo.