Mojdeh dominates older foes for five Batang Pinoy golds

Mojdeh —contributed photo

Beating swimmers older than her has given Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh enough confidence to take her talent to the next level.

The 12-year-old from Parañaque City dominated the swim competition of the Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy Luzon leg on Thursday at the Isabela Sports Complex pool in Isabela, winning a total of five gold medals.

Mojdeh topped the girls’ 13-15 200m butterfly on the final day of the swimming event to match the five golds of Mark Bryan Dula in the boys’ 12-under category of the event organized by the PSC for in-school and out-of-school children aged 15 and below.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Parañaque swimmer submitted a time of two minutes and 25.74 seconds to handily beat Laguna province’s Mariah Genara Ubaldo (2:38.88) and Puerto Princesa City’s Maglia Jaye Dignadice (2:43.69) for her fifth gold medal in the weeklong meet.

“I’m very happy to beat those swimmers who are older than me,” said Mojdeh in Filipino. She also scored wins in the 200m and 400m individual medley and the 50m and 100m butterfly events.

“Next stop for me is the Palarong Pambansa,” Mojdeh added.

Also shining in the pool was 12-year-old Aubrey Tom as the Cainta Rizal tanker swept her last two events, the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle to hike her haul to five golds in her first Batang Pinoy stint.

“I’m very satisfied with my swim here,” said the Grade 6 student of International Learning Academy who previously bagged three gold medals in Day 1 on Tuesday.