ARNIS TEAM JOINS HAWAII TOURNAMENT TO PREPARE FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES

Priming up for next year’s Philippine hosting of the Southeast Asian Games, Filipino arnis competitors won’t allow themselves to get humiliated on local turf.

This early, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, the country’s arnis chief, will send 12 arnis practitioners to the 15th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation World Championships at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, from July 18 to 23.

“If we want our athletes to win gold medals in any international tournament, they must compete with the best athletes in the world,” said Zubiri, president of the Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation.

Arnisadors Villardo Canamay, Mike Banares, Julius Acosta, Nino Mark Talledo and Jeric Arce paid a courtesy call to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) officer-in-charge Commissioner Arnold Agustin and acting PSC deputy executive director Guillermo Iroy Jr. on Thursday at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Joining them were Gerome Pacatang, Norberto Manlapaz, Allan Dablado, Ronald Rosete, Mary Allin Aldeguer, Maria Juana Saraberto, Kimberly Jane Besam and coach Rolindo Catapang. Antonio John Divinagracia and Francis Mirabelle Samson have been designated as heads of delegation.

They are set to compete in the six-day tourney against the best stick fighters in the world from 40 countries.

The Philippines won three of the six gold medals in arnis during the 2005 Manila SEA Games while Vietnam captured the rest of the mints.