NCR’s Kasandra Alcantara shatters 26-year-old record in Palarong Pambansa 2018

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – A high school student from the University of the East broke the 26-year-old record in shot put for secondary girls in the Palarong Pambansa 2018.

Kasandra Alcantara said she felt mixed emotions after completing a record throw of 11.88 meters.

The mark shattered the 11.20-meter record set by Marites Barrios in the 1992 Palarong Pambansa in Zamboanga City.

“May excitement at saya, na sa tagal po nung record, ako po ‘yung naka-break ngayong last year ko na po [sa Palaro],” Alcantara said.

(There was a feeling of excitement and joy because the record had not been broken for a long time and I was the one who broke it in my last year in Palaro.)

But the feat turned out to be even more impressive as Alcantara had stopped playing for two and a half years. But she decided to return to the sport after seeing her former classmates achieve their own goals. 

The comeback athlete came out determined to break the record this year. After all, her previous personal best was 11.16 meters, just 4 centimeters short of surpassing Barrios’ mark.

“Kaya siguro ‘yun din po ‘yung naging goal ko po, ‘yung ma-break pa po ‘yung record, at saka mataasan pa po para tumagal din po ‘yung record,” the young lass from Quezon City said.

(That probably made me set a new goal, to break the record and to set a higher mark, so it will also remain unbroken for a long time.)

The athlete also said she was inspired to train harder for her comeback because of the scholarship she’d get.

“Hindi ko kayang mag-aral sa ganung kalaki na tuition fee ko. Kaya siguro ito ‘yung naging way ko para magkaroon ng scholarship, makatulong sa family ko,” she said.

(I can’t afford to study in a school with a high tuition fee. So this scholarship became my way to help my family.)

As of Wednesday, 10 Palaro records have been broken. – Rappler.com