A young Filipina brought pride to the Philippines for winning the gold and silver medals in the recently concluded 1st Emarat National Rhythmic Gymnastic Championship.
Haifa Niegas, 7, raised the Philippine Flag high as the only Filipina gymnast amongst 200 contenders in the competition.
Haifa’s grace, poise, and masterful movements during the competition won her a silver medal in the freehand routine and a gold medal in the ball routine at the competition that was held at Al Habtoor Tennis Academy and hosted by the Dubai Youth Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics.
To prepare for the competition, she trained at the Little Star Sports Club Abu Dhabi together with her Ukrainian coach, Nadia. “I trained train 3 times a week and 3 hours each day. I’ve been 1 year in this club and I am very happy that I get trained in Little Star Sports Club as they bring best coaches to share their talents with young gymnasts like me,” shares Haifa.
During her entire year of preparation, Haifa had to juggle her time between school and her passion for gymnastics which led her to struggles and mistakes during her training. “Rhythmic Gymnastics is a challenging and competitive sport. Haifa sometimes cries during the training as she tends to make a lot of mistakes. But she never gives up as these mistakes continue to make her stronger and more flexible. Her resilience, coupled with the support of her Coach Nadia helps her propel to move forward and overcome her fears,” shares Haifa’s mom, Gina.
In the future, Haifa aims to be a part of the national team. “I hope I can join the Philippine National team in the future to represent Philippines,” said Haifa.
