Despite the lack of tournaments, the Behrouz Elite Swimming Team (BEST), led by National junior record holder and internationalist Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh, is confident that it can achieve the dream of being part of the National Team that will compete in various tournaments abroad, including the 31st Southeast Asian Games this May in Hanoi, Vietnam.
It will be tough but coach Virgilio De Luna is confident that his swimmers can meet the challenge, pointing out how the swimmers were trained and strengthened by discipline, care, love, and sacrifice.
All their sacrifices and preparations will be put on the line when they compete in the Philippine National Open – one of the tryouts of Philippine Swimming Inc, (PSI) for the selection of PH Team members – on February 25-27 at the New Clark Center.
The 15-year-old Mojdeh and her BEST teammates Jordan Ken Lobos, Half-Dutch Marcus Johannes DeKam, and John Nell Paderes, are no strangers in international competition as members of the junior team and representatives of the school competition. And, the PH Team is the ‘ultimate goal’ they aim to achieve.
“We all have that dream so we are really preparing. Right now, even if there is a pandemic, there is no pressure as long as we just follow the coach’s program. After studying back in training,” the Grade 11 student of Brent International-Laguna dubbed the ‘Water Beast’ at the junior level during the Jan. 27, 2022 edition of TOPS Usapang Sports held via Zoom.
According to Joan Mojdeh, Jasmine’s mother and team manager of BEST, the club received an invitation from the Hamilton Swimming Team to participate in the Dubai Invitational in the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 12- to 4. He said the tournament is attended by talented international swimmers including Olympians.
“This is a big tournament. Hopefully, the alert level will be more relaxed so that we can sort out the necessary papers more easily. In terms of vaccines, all our athletes are fully vaccinated. This is a big gauge for them to be more conditioned, especially since it’s only been almost two weeks before the Open which is set on Feb. 25-27,” Mojdeh said.
According to De Luna, the four swimmers have a good chance of setting a competitive time, and the 19-year-old Paderes from UST has the biggest chance of reaching the SEA Games Qualifying Time in the backstroke event. (PR) – bny
