Lariba Team Philippine Rio flag-bearer

MANILA, Philippines – Ian “Yanyan” Lariba, a student at the De La Salle University and the first national table tennis player to compete in the Olympics, has been named the Philippine flag-bearer in the Rio Games.

The 21-year-old native of Cagayan de Oro will lead the march of the Philippine delegation during the opening rites when the Summer Olympics unfolds on Aug. 5 in the Brazilian tourist capital.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco yesterday made the choice, saying Lariba, as the youngest in the Philippine team, deserves the distinct honor.

“I’m very thankful and at the same time humbled that among our list of athletes I was the one who was chosen,” she told reporters at the POC office in Philsports.

“It’s a privilege for me to carry the flag in the opening ceremony,” she said.

Actually, Lariba shares the exact birthdate with Rio-bound golfer Miguel Tabuena. They were both born on Oct. 13, 1994. But Tabuena is not arriving in Rio until the day after the opener because he’s still set to compete in Thailand next week.

As flag-bearer, Lariba joins the elite list of Filipino athletes to carry the honors in the Summer Olympics, from David Nepomuceno of athletics in the 1924 Paris Olympics to swimmer Eric Buhain in the 1988 Seoul Olympics to Manny Pacquiao in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a non-competitor.

“ She’s our first table tennis entry to the Olympics and that’s a big factor,” said Philippine chef-de-mission Jose Romasanta.

Lariba said being the flag-bearer doesn’t mean she’s more special than the 11 other Filipino athletes heading to Rio.

“It doesn’t mean that because I’m the flag-bearer I’m the forerunner. We are all equal. Each one of us has this responsibility of bringing our flag on top,” she said.

“We will do our best,” Lariba added.

“She’s very young, and table tennis is one the most difficult sports to qualify to the Olympics because the best players come from Asia,” said the POC chief.

Cojuangco presented the Philippine flag to Lariba yesterday, four days before she leads the delegation that leaves Manila to Rio via Dubai.

“For her to qualify is such an achievement for all of us,” said Cojuangco.

Aside from Lariba and Tabuena, the other Philippine entries to Rio are weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Nestor Colonia, taekwondo’s Kirstie Elaine Alora, track and field’s Marestella Torres, Eric Cray and Mary Joy Tabal, boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez and swimmers Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie King Lacuna.

Cojuangco said for these athletes to qualify to the Olympics, especially Torres and Diaz, who are in their third straight Olympics, is already an achievement.