RP on the climb in X-Games Asia

In the few years that the X-Games have been participated in by Filipinos, the country has made terrific strides on climbing up the steep hill of competition. In the region, Filipinos have broken into the top five in various disciplines over the last four years. This time around, the Philippines is sending a six-man team to the X-Games Asia in Sunway Lagoon, outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The competition runs May 12 to 14.

The Philippine team is made up of Miel Pahati, who is the top-ranked Filipino who placed fourth in last year’s competition after leading in the elimination round; Ina Flores, Kristine Robles, Justin Calingasan, Jeff Capili and Christian Guerrero. The team is coached by Joey Cuerdo of the Sport Climbing Association of the Philippines (SCAPI). Team manager is Omar Ermita. The team was given a simple, intimate send-off by ESPN Star Sports’ local representatives Thursday evening.

According to Cuerdo, the Philippines has never missed a competition since the Asian X-Games were first held in Phuket, Thailand in 1998.

"In terms of improvement, we’ve done pretty well. We started out as one of the youngest countries to enter this kind of competition. There was only one country younger than us, which is Brunei, they started only last year," Cuerdo recalls. "Despite being the youngest in Southeast Asia, we’ve actually risen to the top ranks in bouldering, where Japan and Korea really dominate."

This year, the team hopes to finish strong and land in the top three, something that eluded their grasp last year after an impressive start.

"There’s still a gap, but it’s not that big compared in the last two years," admits Pahati. "We’re improving. The level of Japan and Korea can be attained in maybe three years by younger climbers who are competing more outside. Of course we’d like to be in the top three this year. Last year we came really close, but there was a slight slip in the end. I guess we’re more mature this year and more solid."

Cuerdo, the one of the sport’s pioneers who built the successful Power Up chain of sport climbing gyms, explains that the sport requires creativity and alertness, and is not a discipline crafted by routine. Cuerdo believes this year’s team is mature enough to make a major breakthrough.

"Climbing is not like gymnastics where things are practiced and done in routine. It’s not like rowing, where everything is pure movement," Cuerdo stresses. "Climbing has a lot of analysis. It has a lot of connection between mental and physical. It takes maturity to discern which way to go, the right path to take, the right sequence. There’s also an observation done on older climbers in the US. There are very, very strong climbers who are young. But it’s still the experienced climbers who come out as winners. True enough, it’s around 22 to 25 where they peak. It’s when their physical strength coincides with their maturity."

Though the team has been training stringently for the last two months, the climbers have been competing non-stop in local circuits, so it has been easy to keep them in competitive shape.

"Climbing is movement centered. The big muscles are usually trained at the start, where you do your weight training," Cuerdo elaborates. "The movement exercises come in as the competition nears. Everybody also has to watch what they eat. Even if a lot of climbers say it’s OK, it will all boil down to: what you eat, you carry. If you eat too much, you have to lug that up with you."

There are roughly only 50 truly competitive climbers in the country, with a couple of thousand recreational climbers. SCAPI held an exhibition during the Southeast Asian Games here last year, and hope that sport climbing will be included in the SEA Games in the near future. Still, Smart was the only corporate sponsor the team was able to get, despite the intercontinental exposure they will get from ESPN Star Sports. The climbers will have to cover some of their expenses themselves.

"We’ve learned not to depend, we find our own ways," Ina Flores adds. "We go to families, friends and other climbers for support."

"If you’re not in the SEA Games, there’s very little budget for your sport. Even if you are in the SEA Games but if you’re not basketball or boxing, you have a hard time getting money," Cuerdo confirms. "But at least now that we’re part of the POC as an NSA, we can talk to people for help."

A Malaysian climber once stunned the field by placing second in a previous edition of the Asian X-Games. Last year, Pahati surprised everyone by towing the field in the eliminations, leaving everyone wondering where this skinny, determined kid came from. Now, the Japanese and Koreans are looking over their shoulders for Filipinos, who are coming up fast.

"It was the experience given by the veteran climbers before me, they give me so much feedback," Pahati reveals. "So when I joined the competition last year, I pretty much knew the field I got into. For the next younger climbers after me, that’s also what I can do so they can benefit. I think that was the problem before. The sport was very young, we just joined and we didn’t know what to expect.

Now, the secret is out. The Filipinos are not kids anymore. They’re for real. As our climbers say, it’s not about us or them, it’s about beating the wall.