Taguinod takes silver, sets new PH junior record

PHILIPPINE Swimming Incorporated (PSI) standout Jalil Sephraim Taguinod posted a silver medal finish against Asian rivals in the 10th Asian Age Group Swimming Championship being held at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru City, India.

Taguinod registered 31.10 seconds to claim the runner-up honors in the boys’ 14-year 50-meter breaststroke event.

Japanese Yamato Okadome took home the gold medals with a time of 30.26 seconds while Kozhakhmetov Arsen of Kazakhstan settled for bronze after clocking 31.49 seconds.

Taguinod also broke the 16-year-old Philippine national junior record of 31.27 established by Gerard Bordado in the boys’ 13-under 50m breaststroke during the 27th Southeast Asia Age Group Swimming Championships held in the Philippines.

It was the second Philippine national junior record registered in the India meet following Swimming Pinas standout Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh’s feat in the girls’ 13-year 200m Individual Medley in the opening day. Mojdeh submitted 2:29.87 to reset her previous mark of 2:30.31.

So far, the Philippines has one silver and one bronze in the tournament that drew more than 1,000 tankers from 26 countries.

Taguinod also got the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke ( 1: 08.77) on Tuesday.

Mojdeh (50m butterfly), Taguinod (200m breaststroke) and Mishka Sy (100m backstroke) will be gunning for medals in their respective events on the final day of the competition (Friday).