Antipolo City throws support on Ajido

MANILA, Philippines — The Antipolo City government led by Mayor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III will provide support to Antipolo-born swimmer Jamesray Mishael Ajido, who won the country’s lone gold medal in record-breaking fashion at the recent 11th Asian Age-Group Swimming Championships.

Ranged against taller and better-prepared rivals, Ajido ruled the boys 12-14-year-old 100-meter butterfly event in 55.98 seconds, breaking the five-year-old meet record of 56.36 seconds of Chinese Yu Xiang Wang, at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.

A KG Management talent, Ajido also copped a silver in the 50-meter butterfly (25.50) and a bronze (24.34) in the 50-meter freestyle events, respectively, all three times being national junior records, to emerge as the country’s most bemedaled athlete in the competition.

These were milestones for both the swimmer and the host country considering that there were over 1,000 swimmers from 25 countries that took part in the Asian meet that also served as a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.

Ajido’s latest accomplishments came after he was named best swimmer in the Batang Pinoy National Games in December with five individual gold and two bronze medals on top of anchoring La Salle Greenhills to overall honors in the boys’ high school division of the NCAA swimming meet.

“As an Antipolo native, we would like to recognize Jamesray’s achievements and support him to the extent we can as a promising swimmer well and beyond his athletic career,” said Ynares during the athlete’s recent courtesy call together with his mother Lovell.

Also present was former national swimming coach Sherwin Santiago.