OLYMPIAN Cris Nievarez showed the way for the Philippine team that copped six silver and two bronze medals in the 2022 Asian Indoor Virtual Rowing Championships over the weekend.
The 21-year-old Nievarez, who reached the quarterfinals of the men’s single sculls of the Tokyo Olympics, bagged the silver in the U-23 men’s 2000-meter, to spearhead the country’s campaign in the meet organized by the Hong Kong China Rowing Association.
Kristine Paraon bagged two silver medals with a strong finish in the U-23 women’s 2000-meter and 500-meters. Also finishing with silver medals were Joachim De Jesus (U-23 lightweight men’s 500-meter), Zuriel Sumintac (lightweight men’s 500-meter), and Alyssa Go (U-23 Lightweight women’s 500-meter).
The tournament was open to all Asian passport holders not necessarily members of the national team, allowing the likes of De Jesus, Go, and Emmanuel Joseph Obana to participate. The three are members of the Ateneo rowing team.
The two bronze medals were courtesy of Christian Joseph Jasmin (U-23 lightweight men’s 2000-meter), and Kharl Julianne Sha (U-23 lightweight women’s 500-meter).

Big boost ahead of SEA Games
Philippine Rowing Association (PRA) President Patrick Gregorio was elated with the outcome of the Filipinos’ campaign, considering the 19-man national team had to do it under a bubble setup done at the federation’s headquarters at the La Mesa Ecopark last Saturday.
The performance also augurs well in the Filipino paddlers’ campaign in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Philippine rowers led by Nievarez won three gold medals in the 2019 SEA Games.
This marked the second time the Asian Indoor Rowing event was held virtually due to COVID-19.
It is one of the sanctioned events as qualifier to the 2022 World Rowing Indoor Championships, which was initially scheduled to be held in-person in Hamburg, Germany, but will now be held virtually owing to the current pandemic situation.
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