Roligat proud of Morocco performance

KOROR, PALAU—Sprinter Darrel Roligat is currently on Phase II of his summer-long journey, and continues to look forward to making the best of the golden opportunities being given him.

Fresh from shattering his CNMI junior record in the 100m at the World Youth Championships in Morocco, Roligat, who is in Palau awaiting the start of the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games, explained that his goal for the remainder of the summer remains the same—improve his time at every meet.

Placed in the 13th heat of the century-mark dash against competitors from around the world, the Chalan Lau Lau resident finished with the fifth-best performance in the heat, lowering his record time from 11.7 seconds to 11.4 seconds.

“For me, I’m just proud,” Roligat said during an interview Friday at the Palau Community College. “I was able to reach my goal, and that was to improve on my time. I didn’t even know what my time was after the race until Robin [Eugenio] told me. As long as I see that I improve, then it’s good.”

Eugenio served as Roligat’s coach during the journey.

Roligat added that through his experience, he and Eugenio were able to pinpoint areas where improvement is needed.

“He [Eugenio] told me that I could’ve been faster,” Roligat said. “I was good off the blocks, maintained my speed midway through, but wasn’t able to really pick up the speed towards the end of the race. He said I ran 11.4 but I could’ve probably done 11.39, and in 100m sprints, that’s a lot of difference.”

Nonetheless, Roligat shared that his self-confidence was strengthened due to the result of his performance.

“I know I can do it and I know I can get better, so that gives me confidence and also motivates me to continue for more,” he said. “From this, I learned to never give up and that if I really want it, I have to really put my mind to it and do my best, and I am happy for the big improvement—from 11.7 to 11.4.”

The Marianas High School student also added that the experience also increases his hunger and drive to enhance his skills in hopes for better performances not only in local meets, but most especially in regional and international competitions.

“It pushes me to continue,” he said. “Now I know I can keep up with them, its just that I need to minus my mistakes, but that’s how you learn…correcting my mistakes. I pick up what they [international competitors] do and just learn. You may never know what you can do unless you try.”

The trip also served as an eye opener for Roligat, who for the first time, witnessed first-hand some of the issues currently faced by several countries also involved in track and field.

“We forget that in other places, there are so many people who are more in need of many of the little things we have and take for granted,” he said. “That’s why it’s good for us to have these kinds of things…for people from our place to go out and see and learn about the world. It might change the way they look at things.”

Roligat will compete in the 100m today at 7:45pm and 200m on Wednesday at 8:30pm at the Palau National Track and Field facility in Koror.

He leaves for the IAAF World Championships in Finland on Sunday with coach Elias Rangamar.