NAGA CITY — Another local swimming sensation in the making, 18-year old Michaelmars Danila, who ruled the recently held 2nd leg of the Philippine Youth Swimming Cup held in this city early last month will be competing in the prestigious international University Games to be held in Australia on Dec. 19-23, this year.

        A student of the Ateneo de Naga University, Danila is a native of San Pablo City who chose to study here to take up Computer Engineering and enlist as full member of the multi-awarded and internationally known Naga City Amateur Swimming Association (NASA).

        He will be donning the all-Ateneo colors in the Australian competition that will be participated in by university athletes from all over the world. This, while fellow Naga swimmers Bonus Bordado and Ernest Dee will be treading a similar path to international fame when they fly to Doha, Qatar for the 15th Asian Games as members of the RP swimming team.

        In preparation for that big splash event down under, Danila will be taking a trip to China on the second week of December 2006 for quick polishing of his strokes, acclimatization and exposure.

        At the local swimming club, the young Atenean trains under the watch of coach Elsie Felipe, the same coach who has honed the competitive skills of multi-awarded Naga swimmers Bonus Bordado, Ernest ‘Enchong’ Dee, John Brylle Zapanta, and Wilfredo Sunglao, among others. Janine Patricia Robredo, the 12-year old daughter of the city mayor is also among the promising young members of the Naga-based amateur swimming club.

        Coach Elsie said Danila would be competing in backstroke and individual medley, the same events where he outclassed his rivals during the Philippine Youth Cup held at the Metro Naga Sports Complex last October 7-8, 2006.

        In that national competition which drew 280 young swimmers from 45 swimming clubs all over the country, Danila clinched three gold medals and was declared over-all champion in the special event called SKINS, a 50-meter long course freestyle that tests the best of the swimmers’ speed and endurance. joe perez