GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Bago City’s Divine Andrea Pablito has dreams of becoming a policewoman or perhaps a sugarcane farmer in her hometown.
But her career path could soon change after she emerged as the first gold medalist in the Batang Pinoy 2025 which began on Sunday morning at the Acharon Sports Complex.
Bago City's pride
The 17-year-old Ramon Torres High School product ruled the girls U18 discus throw amid a morning drizzle, registering 32.19 meters to beat Trisha Gayle Nalla of Maasin City (31.26) and Gwen Sacal of Tarlac (30.05) for the gold.
Pablito’s 35 rivals were left chasing her all morning after she hit the winning mark on her first throw of the day.
Pablito was surprised to win in discus throw since it isn’t exactly her strongest suit, having finished eighth in the same event in Puerto Princesa last year. She is scheduled to compete in javelin throw and shot put, which she considers her favorite event.
Third among five siblings, Pablito is in her second and final year in the Batang Pinoy, and the Grade 12 student has drawn interest from University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.
This even as she didn’t have any sport prior to taking up the throwing events in athletics.
“’Yung teacher ko nung elementary, siya ‘yung naghikayat sa akin na maglaro ng sport… Malaki daw po (kasi ako),” said Pablito.
But despite her gold medal, Pablito insisted she has no plans of taking up a career out of athletics after college, saying she intends to take up criminology then tend to the sugarcane farm of her father.
“Okay na po ‘yung ganito,” said Pablito, when asked if she has dreams of making it to the national team or even compete in the Olympics. “Mahirap po eh. Parang mahirap po ang training.”
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