Kirstie Alora. Photo by Bong Lozada/INQUIRER.net
Filipino jin Kirstie Alora is not the type who has a shortage of confidence.
Alora will lead the Philippine contingent in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games and the 27-year-old is going to Kuala Lumpur with a goal she and the country would be proud of.
“Of course I’m proud to be the flag-bearer and we’re more inspired to strive harder because as the flag-bearer everyone will be looking at me” said Alora during the athletes’ send off. “We’ve prepared hard for this and I’m pretty sure we can produce the medals.”
The Philippines had the second-best medal tally in taekwondo in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games winning three golds, three silvers, and two bronzes.
Only Vietnam had a better record with five golds and three silvers.
Alora, who represented the Philippines in the 2016 Rio Olympics, said it’s either gold or bust for her and the team in the Kuala Lumpur Games and that she wants to prove that she deserved her role as the Philippines’ flag-bearer.
“I’m the one carrying the flag because I know I deserve the role,” said Alora in Filipino. “And I also want to prove that I deserve to carry the flag by winning a gold medal in the SEA Games.”
“When I heard that I would be carrying the flag, I told myself that I would I have to prove it in Malaysia by winning.”