(Photo from DLSU Sports’ Facebook page)
The first Filipino to represent the country in the Olympics table tennis passed away on September 1, after fighting a battle with leukemia.
Ian Lariba represented the country at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She was a part of the De La Salle University varsity team where she was named MVP thrice.
The Philippine Sports Commission announced the news of her passing on Twitter.
Our deepest condolences to the family of Olympian and Table Tennis national athlete Yanyan Lariba (@supersaiYAAAN) who passed away tonight after a brave fight against cancer.
You are truly loved and shall be greatly missed. pic.twitter.com/B37CbtQNqt
— Philippine Sports Commission (@psc_gov) September 2, 2018
Before her stint in the Olympics, she also represented the Philippines in the 2013 and 2015 Southeast Asian Games. The athlete was diagnosed with leukemia in May 2017.
