BORACAY – In a rousing international debut, Palarong Pambansa standout Anton Paulo Dominick Della secured an age-group silver in the men's 10-kilometer race, kicking off the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission here Friday.

Swimming in ideal conditions  at the 1.66-kilometer course off the Boracay Newcoast overlooking the Sibuyan Sea. Della clocked two hours and 20 seconds in placing second in the 18-19-year-old division.

The 17-year-old pride of San Fernando, La Union, who bagged four golds in the last Palarong Pambansa held in Agusan del Sur,  actually narrowly missed a podium finish in the Open division by a stroke out of the 31 entries who swam.

He was just five seconds  behind Vietnamese bronze medalist Van Dung Cao (2:00.15) in the event won by compatriot Ngoc Vin Dho (1:58.30), while Mochammad Taufik took bronze (2:00.06).

Sharing the spotlight with Della was Dianna Celyn Cruz, who bucked painful hips to bag bronze in the 20-year-old and above women's class (2:48.17), finishing 16th overall in the meet organized by the Philippine Aquatics Inc. and sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation.

Cruz wound up 16th overall among 20 entries in the  women's open division, where Vietnam finished 1-2 courtesy of Kha Ni Nguyen (2:18.29.86) Huynh Tu Uyen Le ( 2:19.26.63) in the meet, likewise supported by the Aklan and Malay provincial and municipal governments, respectively.

"I swam a tactical race by trying to keep myself in the lead pack. The weather was good from the first to four rounds while from the fifth and sixth rounds it was a bit wavy or choppy," Della said.

"You need to last long in this kind of race so I drafted behind the lead swimmers so it didn't get heavy so much before making my move in the last 500 meters," added the athlete.

"It is really great to have completed because the 10K race is like the ultra marathon of swimming and this medal inspires me to believe I can accomplish something here,” said a delighted Della.

"I won't hesitate doing it all over again."

"I wasn't feeling well and wanted to give up after the third round because my hips were hurting," said Cruz, disclosing she was down with flu and had not practiced five days before the meet.

"I had a left hip strain while working out here last June. I thought it would be okay now but then both hips began to hurt. I just thank God I was able to endure it. He gave me strength," the swimmer, a born-again Christian, said.

Della will be back in action early Saturday morning for the mixed relay event where he will be joined by Alex Tiu,  Graziella Sophia Ato and Nuche Veronica Ibit.

Each swimmer will negotiate a 1,500-meter course, with a male swimmer plunging into action first followed back-to-back by two female swimmers before the other male bet caps the anchor leg.