"Anything’s possible, including a sweep," said Valta who captured two gold medals in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the SEA Games in Vietnam two years ago. "We’re in great shape. We’ve prepared long and hard. We trained nearly four months in Mongolia."
Valta, 24, leads the Philippine wrestling squad made up of seven men and five women. Except for Gemma Silverio, all the wrestlers saw action at the last SEA Games where the Philippines claimed four golds, eight silvers and six bronzes to a total of 18 medals in the sport. Only aquatics — composed of diving, water polo and swimming — collected more medals with 21.
In the men’s division are Margarito Angana (55 kg), Melchor Tumasis (60 kg), Jimmy Angana (66 kg), Michael Baletin (74 kg), John Esteban (84 kg), Valta (96 kg) and Francis Villanueva (120 kg). The women are Maribel Jambora (48 kg), Tina Villanueva (51 kg), Melinda Lapuente (55 kg), Silverio (59 kg) and Cherry Matriz (63 kg).
Aside from Valta, the other returning Filipino gold medalists are Tumasis and Cristina Villanueva. Unlike in Vietnam, this year’s SEA Games will not feature Greco-Roman wrestling where Tumasis and Valta got a gold each. The competition will be strictly freestyle which involves fighting technique and speed with full use of the body. The Greco-Roman style allows use only of the upper body.
Valta said he expects the stiffest competition from Vietnam which garnered four golds, eight silvers and four bronzes two years ago. Indonesia is another threat, he added.
Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines are participating in the wrestling competitions. Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Myanmar and Timor Leste are sitting out the action.
Wrestling hostilities reel off today at the San Andres Gym in Malate. Action continues on Tuesday and finishes the next day.
The competition mat, measuring nine meters in diameter, was installed at the San Andres Gym recently. The Philippine team has exclusive use of the gym for practice and tested the facility from 3 to 5 p.m. The other wrestlers practice at Rizal Memorial. Valta said the team couldn’t be more prepared.
"It was tough in Mongolia which was very cold," said Valta. "In the mornings, I had to wear three jackets one over the other. Once, the temperature fell to minus 17 degrees. We even spent three weeks in Erdenet which is up in the mountains. We trained six days a week. We got up at 7, ran and did conditioning exercises."