Wushu to concentrate in worlds, SEA Games

The Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) will be sending four members of its developmental pool to the 2nd Sportaccord Combat Games in St. Petersburg, Russia as it will concentrate its resources to form its best team for the 12th World Wushu Championships and the 27th Myanmar Southeast Asian Games later this year.

WFP secretary general Julian Camacho said they don’t want to risk sending their top players to Russia since the Combat Games will end two days before the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Combat Games is set from October 18 to 26 while the World Championships will be held from October 28 to November 6.

Four slots, one in taolu and three in sanda, were given by the National Wushu Federation of Russia in the weeklong games, which will showcase the non-Olympic martial arts and combat sports of aikido, ju-jitsu, karate, kendo, kickboxing, Muaythai, sambo, savate, sumo and wushu aside from the Olympic sports of boxing, fencing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling.

Part of the national training pool build-up is a six-month-long training in Fujian and Xanxi provinces in China.

WFP secretary general Julian Camacho said eight of the 23 athletes that will train in China are members of the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) priority athlete program. Wushu is also part of the PSC’s priority sports program.

All priority athletes are also exempted to compete in the Philippine National Games next month since the WFP is using the event for its grassroots identity and development program. “It will be a mismatch if new athletes would face against National team members,” said Camacho.

Scheduled to train in China are Jessie Aligaga, Benjie Rivera, Dembert Arcita, Mark Ediva, Francisco Solis, Benito Amado Jr., Ernie Braca, Jean Claude Saclag, Thamie Aligaga, Evita Zamora, Daniel Parantac, John Keithley Chan, Engelbert Addongan, Kariza Kris Chan, Natasha Enriquez, Thornton Queney Luo Sayan, Norlence Ardee Catolico, Joel Casem, Alieson Ken Omengan, Noel Alabata, Clemente Tabugara, Daniel Guintivano, and James Daquil.

Aligaga, Rivera, Arcita, Ediva, Solis, Amado, Braca, Thamie Aligaga, Saclag, Zamora, Alabata, Tabugara, Guintivano and Daquil  train in sanda while Parantac, Chan, Addongan, Enriquez, Sayan, Catolico,  Casem, and Omengan train in taolu.

Jessie Aligaga and Arcita won gold, while Rivera clinched a silver in last year’s World Cup in Wuyishan City, China.

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