Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Fabriga grabs Olympics slot
DAVAO City's Rexel Ryan Fabriga also bagged a Beijing Olympics berth Monday following the recent entry of Dabawenya Sheila Mae Perez who also made an impressive showing in the just-concluded "Good Luck Beijing 2008" Fina Diving World Cup at the Water Cube of Beijing, China.
Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (Pasa) president Mark Joseph bared this through a text message to Sun.Star Davao Sunday.
He said, "From No. 21 on February 23, Fabriga placed fourth with a total of 410.4 points in the third phase of the men's 10m platform event of the World Cup today (Monday)."
Fabriga and diving partner Jaime Asok copped the synchronized 10m platform gold but settled for silver in the 10m platform individual event of the 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
"Ryan has redeemed himself by qualifying to the Olympics. This has been a long and winding road to the Olympics for our divers," he added.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, who was tasked by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to win the country's first-ever Olympic gold in Beijing, was elated by the news.
"Wow! To have two divers in Beijing, that's really something for Davao. Mark Joseph also texted me about it early this morning," he said in an interview yesterday.
He earlier said the diving qualifiers would continue training in China.
Fabriga became the 11th Filipino qualifier to the quadrennial world sports spectacle. The other qualifiers were Miguel Molina, James Walsh, Ryan Arabejo, Daniel Coackley and Christel Simms in swimming, Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero in taekwondo, Harry Ta¤amor in boxing and Mark Javier in archery.
Ramirez, after hosting dinner to the sports media Saturday evening, had said: "We are still looking for one to two boxers who will also make it to Beijing during a world qualifying in Kazahkstan. Our Cuban coaches went to Baguio immediately after they arrived on Feb. 20 to train the national team and the Kazahkstan-bound boxers."
He added RP might also win wildcard slots in fencing, archery, shooting and athletics. (MLSA)
