Polo savors YOG experience

DAKAR, Senegal — Angel Polo missed the podium in wushu’s women’s Taijiquan combined but earned precious exposure from the 4th Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

“I will learn from this experience to get better and better,” said Polo, who’s turning only 16 this 12 December, before heading for the Dakar Airport from the Youth Olympic Village at dawn here on Wednesday.

“I still have one year as a junior and I’ll be doing my best from the experiences here,” said Polo, a 10th grader at the Pasay North City High School who clinched bronze at the world championships in Tanjin, China, last March behind the same top two finishers in the YOG here — Ng Zhe Nin of Singapore and Chinese Taipei’s Chu Yu En.

Polo is the lone entry in wushu in the nine-athlete Team Philippines sent here under the Philippine Olympic Committee headed by Abraham Tolentino and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission chaired by Patrick “Pato” Gregorio.

Polo’s Chinese coach, Li Jianfang, praised her ward for her performance here.

“Thank you for your concern and support and although the expected effect was not achieved, she has done her best,” Li said.