Three events enhance RP bid in Indoor Games

MANILA, Philippines - The inclusion of women’s boxing and wushu and billiards has bolstered the Philippines’ bid of improving on its previous performances in the Asian Indoor Games set Oct. 28-Nov. 8 in Vietnam.

The Philippines won only a gold medal each, both courtesy of muay thai artists, in 2005 in Bangkok and in 2007 in Macau.

But with women’s boxing and wushu and billiards added to the calendar, chef de mission Julian Camacho said the national delegation stands to win more in the third edition of the conclave, which will also serve as training ground for the Filipino athletes’ participation in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in December in Laos.

“Definitely, the chance for us to bring home more gold medals is there with the inclusion of the three sports, which will be disputed for the first time,” Camacho, secretary general of the Wushu Federation-Philippines, said in yesterday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.

 Muay Thai Federation of the Philippines officer-in-charge Red Dumuk , on the other hand, said the national contingent could win three to four gold medals.

“Our women’s boxers and wushu aces are world class, as well as our billiards players so with the addition of these events, I believe we can produce that much or even more because we will also be represented in dance sports, an event we did not participate in the last time around for lack of funds,” Dumuk said during the forum, sponsored by ACCEL.