Mojdeh to see action in Singapore swimfest

NATIONAL pool member Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh will see action in the prestigious 55th Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships, which starts today at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore.

Mojdeh will compete in five events in the women's division, where she will face stiff competition from top-notch swimmers from various countries, including powerhouse Japan and host Singapore.

The 18-year-old standout from the Behrouz Elite Swimming Team will attempt to make a splash in the 400m Individual Medley, 50m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, and 200m Individual Medley.

Mojdeh has moved up to the seniors division after a stellar campaign in the juniors class.

Notably, she has already participated in two editions of the World Junior Swimming Championships, where she reached the semifinals in the 2022 edition in Lima, Peru.

Known as the "Waterbeast," Mojdeh amassed a slew of gold medals in regional competitions and invitational meets in France, Australia, South Africa, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and various countries in Southeast Asia.

In her first foray into the seniors division last year, Mojdeh made an immediate impact by reaching the finals of the women's 200-m butterfly event at the prestigious 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup third leg, also held in Singapore.

As a result, Mojdeh is being groomed for bigger tournaments to further prepare her for the international competitions she will participate in.

One of Mojdeh's targets is to make it to Team Philippines that will compete in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand in December.

The Philippine Aquatics Inc. will hold a national tryout in August to determine the qualifiers for the SEA Games.

"This (Singapore National Age Group) is a good exposure for Jasmine since a lot of national teams from different countries are also competing in Singapore. She will really be pushed to her limits because the competition is tough," said BEST team manager Joan Mojdeh."