Wushu action begins; RP bets in high spirits

VIENTIANE, Laos – The wushu federation, still reeling from internal disputes that ousted Edwin Pimentel and his elite wushu experts, hopes to make the best out of its entries sent here when competitions start today at the Lao ITECC Hall 2 in downtown Vientiane.

“We’ll try to do our best,” said wushu federation secretary-general Julian Camacho, who gave up the presidency of the wushu federation to become its new secretary general in elections upheld by the Philippine Olympic Committee. “Everything is okay and everybody is in high spirits,” said Camacho, who predicted at least four golds for his team, which won two in the Thailand Games in 2007.

Wushu will be led by Mary Jane Estimar (52kg), the 27-year-old Iloilo native who won the country’s only gold medal in the First Asian Martial Arts last August in Thailand where Marianne Mariano (-65kg) won the silver.

“I think we’ll have a good fight because their morale is high,” said Tansuitong Candelaria, a wushu technical official accompanying the nine athletes.

The team includes former world juniors winners Daniel Parantac and Stephanie Agbay in the taolu, (form) and Mark Eddiva (65kg), Dembert Arcita (52 kg), Jessie Aligaga (48 kg), Denver Labrador (56kg), and Rea Mae Refani (78kg) who replaced Jennifer Lagilag.          – Gerry Carpio