23 golds so far for Arafura swimmers

THE PHILIPPINE boys’ team accounted for 15 of the 23 gold medals hauled in three days of the ongoing swimming competition in the 2011 Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia.

Teens Banjo Borja, Marc Artemius Paderon, Johansen Benedict Aguilar and Dhil Anderson Lee led the country’s campaign in the week-long event.

Hannah Dato and Monique Bacolod also recorded golden finishes in the girls’ division to help improve the country’s tally to 23 gold, 24 silver and nine bronze medals so far.

Controversy struck when Arafura organizers decided that five swimmers from the Philippine Swimming League-Diliman Prep School led by coach Susan Papa and delegation head Nikki Coseteng can only compete as guests.

“Invited swimmers do not automatically get accredited to compete at Arafura Games; they, through their association, must be members of Fina (international swimming body),” Marie-Claire Cull, the tournament’s general manager, said in an e-mail statement.

The PSL-DPS group, which had several swimmers topping their heats, is not affiliated with Pasa.

All the Filipino medalists, though, were eligible as members of the Philippine Aquatics Sports Association (Pasa), the national governing body accredited by Fina.