DECORATED swimming sisters Lorah Micah and Liaa Margarette "Marga" Amoguis will miss the Batang Pinoy experience this year having steered Davao City's third overall finish in the national championship held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan in 2019.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) recently scrapped the staging of the Batang Pinoy national finals and the Philippine National Games (PNG) this year due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
It can be recalled that the Amoguis sisters pooled in four gold medals and one silver as the Davao City delegation brought home a total of 31 golds, 30 silvers, and 41 bronzes.
Marga, in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao said, "It's a disappointment that I wouldn't get to experience my first Batang Pinoy as a 13-year-old girl."
She also said, "I would love to try to compete with girls who are stronger and older than me, that keeps my motivation for swimming. I was also wondering what pool I'll be swimming in Batang Pinoy since I love experiencing new pools that I never swam before. Especially since all of the competition I've been trying to prepare has gone to waste. I hope that I can still swim to my limit, and join the competition."
Marga clinched two individual golds and one relay gold with her elder sister Lorah and two other Davao tankers.
Lorah, for her part, was also disappointed as 2020 would be here penultimate year in Batang Pinoy.
"I was surely hoping to cherish my last two years because I just came back in competing in Batang Pinoy last year and it's a great experience for swimmers because we get to make new friends with different types of people across our country. It makes us have a chance to unite with people in different places of the Philippines," said Lorah, who copped one individual gold and individual silver and one relay gold in Puerto Princesa last year.
She, however, said missing the Batang Pinoy also has its advantage as she can now focus on her academics because she no longer has to be absent anymore for training and competitions.
Lorah added, "Hoping this pandemic will be over so that I can train and compete again."