NEW MISSION
Tancontian siblings to vie for honors in SEA sambo
WITH sambo entered in the program of the 2018 Asian Games, multi-titled siblings Sydney and Chino Tancontian will don the country’s colors in the 1st Southeast Asia Sambo Championship, a test event for the 2018 Asian Games, slated April 11-12 at the Lagoon Hotel Sultan, Senayan, Jakarta.
This was bared by Pilipinas Sambo secretary-general Paolo Tancontian, the father of Sydney and Chino, in an interview with Sun.Star Davao recently.
Tancontian said his kids will join the five-member contingent of the Philippine sambo team that will also be composed of two seasoned MMA athletes from Manila and a veteran 2nd Dan black belt judoka Alas Larida.
Sydney, a 2017 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) judo bronze medalist and a two-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champion, will compete in the women's 68-kilogram division.
Chino, a newlycrowned UAAP judo champion and Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a former Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) member, meanwhile, will test his mettle in the men's 90-kg division.
"At the age of 17 years old, we expect a gold medal from Chino," the elder Tancontian said, adding that his son has been busy training after his UAAP stint.
Tancontian, however, said the strong foundation and basic fundamental his children learned from their pioneer sport judo will be their key to keep pace in the event, since sambo is almost similar with judo.
Their thrust in joining the event, despite the large expenses to be spent, is to be recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and propagate the sport, which originated in Russia, here in the country.