Meet “Bughaw” and “Lila,” the official mascots for the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships. Handout photos
MANILA -- Two cute, pixie-like and oyster-shaped figures – “Bughaw” and “Lila” – are the official mascots of the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships set from Nov. 20 to 24 at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom at the Newport World Resorts in Pasay City.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippine president Cynthia Carrion said that the two mascots were carefully conceived to inspire not only the young gymnasts coming all over the globe but also to draw the attention of the millennial generation to watch them in action during the five-day competition.
“In this age of millennials, we need mascots who can relate not only to our sport but to the new generation. This gymnastics showcase is a great opportunity for them to watch our exciting, vibrant and beautiful Olympic sport,” Carrion explained of the tournament organized by the GAP and sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation, known by its French acronym FIG.
Clad in a light-blue leotard, “Bughaw,” represents the athletes in the men’s artistic gymnastics events while “Lila,” in dainty pink tights, is for the entries in the women’s artistic gymnastics of the elite junior tourney.
Both mascots are also on the pictograms performing on the six individual apparatus in MAG and four in WAG in the meet.
Carrion said she expects the success of Paris Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo in the recent 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, capturing a gold in the men’s vault and bronze in the floor exercise, to spark further interest in the world juniors.
READ: Carlos Yulo claims gold in vault at world championships
“The success of Carlos at the world championships is timely and ought to generate more attention for the Junior World championships that we are staging since fans will get the glimpse of the promising junior gymnasts who will be the future stars of the sport,” she said.
The gymnastics head said local interest should be excited with the participation of the country’s two standard-bearers: Karl Eldrew Yulo, the younger brother of the two-time Olympian, and Elisabeth Antone, who stood out in the Asian Artistic Junior Championships held last June in Jecheon, South Korea.
Currently training in Tokyo, Japan under celebrated Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, Yulo took the silver in the men’s vault while the US-based Antone bagged the bronze in the tough women’s individual all-around event.
“We are praying that Eldrew and Elizabeth, who have both been training hard, will do our country proud in the junior world championships,” said Carrion of both athletes.