By Nikolai Ordoña 

ASHS student-athlete Ivo Nikolai Enot of 12-Evans, along with the Philippine team, represented the country in the 45th Southeast Asia (SEA) Age Group Swimming from August 24 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Recording a time of 59.21 seconds, Ivo won bronze in the 16-18 Boys – 100m back, contributing to the 17 medals gathered by the national team. 

“It is a privilege to be able to represent our flag to new countries, especially given that thousands of swimmers participated in the qualifying leg for this year’s Sea-Age, but only 19 were able to meet the qualifying time standards. It’s an honor to bring honor and represent Team Philippines once more,” Ivo said.

Aside from Ivo, several Filipino athletes also bagged awards in the competition, including Jennuel Booh De Leon (gold, boys’ 16-18 50m butterfly), Arabella Nadeen Taguinota (gold, girls’ 14-15 100m breaststroke), Jamesray Ajido (three silver, boys 14-15), and Mishka Sy (bronze, girls 16-18 200m IM), who is also a student from Ateneo de Manila University.

Batangas First District Rep. Eric Buhain, Secretary General of the sports governing body Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI), applauded the achievements of the young swimmers.

“President Miko (Vargas), myself, and the entire Board of Trustees of Philippine Aquatics, Inc. are very happy about the achievements of our team that competed in the 45th SEA Age Group in Jakarta. Our medal success rate was 77 percent with 17 medals from 18 swimmers and four divers,” said Buhain, a two-time Olympian and Philippine Sports Hall-of-Famer.

“We hope to inspire more Filipino age group athletes to go for medal standards in the 46th edition, which Thailand will host next year,” he added.

“Keep moving forward”

The 45th SEA Age Group Swimming Championships was Ivo Enot’s seventh international competition. He had also competed in local tournaments, including the UAAP Season 85 (five-time gold medalist, MVP for boys’ swimming) and Palarong Pambansa 2023, where he won gold for 200-m backstroke and, along with his team, set a new record for the 200-m medley relay.

In an interview with Hi-Lites, Ivo shared how he balances his duties as a student and an athlete.

“Time management will always be the most important factor in balancing both sports and academics. I have to set a schedule for me not to get lost and have that peace of mind at the end of the day,” he said.

Ivo also cited his intent to pursue a formal career in sports, as his experiences in swimming keep growing alongside his skills.

“To be honest, I still enjoy swimming. I appreciate both the sport and the camaraderie among the FAST Team. And, sure, I still intend to pursue swimming as a formal career. I still have a lot of goals to achieve, especially UAAP is fast approaching, and I’m hoping to represent Team Philippines in the forthcoming Asian Group Swimming Championships in December. My recent achievement will serve as my motivation to keep moving forward,” he concluded.