Lariba won’t rule out upsets

MANILA, Philippines – Although she’s ranked a distant No. 315 in the world, Ian Lariba said yesterday it’s not uncommon for higher-ranked players to lose to lower seeds in major table tennis tournaments, including the Olympics where the 21-year-old Cagayan de Oro native will represent the country in Rio next month.

Lariba said she won’t be in awe of the opposition and promised to leave it all on the table with no regrets. “I’ve got nothing to lose,” she said. “I’m praying to play my best ever. I don’t want to leave Rio feeling I could’ve done better. For me, table tennis is very unpredictable and instantaneous. You’ll never know what’s going to happen. Of course, world rankings count but when the game begins, bakbakan na because it’s a knockout system. I’ve seen upsets happen in the Olympics. I know I’ll be prepared to do my best.”

Lariba trained in South Korea from June 4 to July 4 with coach Kwon Mi Sook, a 1989 world medalist who will accompany her to Rio. Then, she competed at the 11-nation ASEAN University Games in Singapore, collecting a silver in singles, bronze in doubles and another bronze in the team event. Lariba’s performance was a dramatic improvement from her showing in the last two Southeast Asian Games where she failed to make it to the podium.

“In the ASEAN University Games, the age limit is 28 for athletes who must be enrolled in schools while in the Southeast Asian Games, there is no age limit so it’s an open competition,” said Lariba. “But a lot of players in the SEA Games also participate in the ASEAN University Games. I played against medalists in the last SEA Games in the semifinals and final in the ASEAN University Games. I think the difference in my performance was the added training from coach Kim who has an international perspective. I did more agility and strengthening exercises to prepare for the ASEAN University Games. It was a good tune-up for me and a morale booster heading to Rio.”

Lariba, who was undefeated in over 70 matches throughout her five-year UAAP career with La Salle, said she still has a lot to work on before reaching her peak in Rio. “Right now, I weigh about 56 kilos and I want to bring down my weight to 54,” she said. “In table tennis, endurance is very important and I need to be able to move quickly so I have to be lighter. At the same time, I need to be strong. I do a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercises in the gym to prepare for Rio. I’m grateful to coach Jay Futalan of PSC and coach Velai Garin of La Salle for supervising my strength and conditioning program.”

Lariba said after Rio, she plans to finish her last term as a major in Management of Financial Institutions at La Salle. In her collegiate career, she was a UAAP Rookie of the Year and a three-time MVP and shared Athlete of the Year honors with volleyball’s Alyssa Valdez, swimming’s Jessie Lacuna and softball’s Queeny Sabobo this past season. Lariba took La Salle to three UAAP championships.

Making it to Rio wasn’t easy and Lariba booked the last available ticket at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Hong Kong last April. She started out on the wrong foot, losing to Thailand’s Orawan Paranang, 11-6, 11-2, 11-4, 13-11. Then, in the second stage, Lariba won two in a row, upending Qatar’s Maha Faramarzi, 11-5, 11-1, 11-7, 11-4 and Iran’s Mahjobeh Omran, 11-6, 15-13, 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-8. A loss to Thailand’s Nanthana Komwong, 11-1, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5, set up the showdown with Indonesia’s Lilis Indriani for the last slot to Rio. Lariba won, 11-6, 11-2, 11-8, 11-5.