Wushu eyes China training for Asiad

MANILA, Philippines - After a productive harvest of three gold, three silver and one bronze medals in the 27th Southeast Asian Games, Filipino wushu artists look forward to sustaining their charge in tougher competitions in 2014, including the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

Wushu Federation Philippines president Tan She Ling and secretary general Julian Camacho said the plan is to send the Pinoy aces to China for training of up to six months to gear them up for the Asiad in September.

“The Asian Games is up next year and our challenge is to prepare for it and bring honor to the country,” said Camacho during Friday night’s wushu awards rites.

 â€œWe’ll try our best, work harder in promoting wushu, particularly in the mainstream. Hopefully we’ll win more medals in the coming tournaments,” said Tan.

The medalists in the 2013 SEAG, led by champions Daniel Parantac, Dembert Arcita and Jessie Aligaga, and world titlist Benjie Rivera led the honorees who received their certificates of recognition and bonuses for their feats in 2013.

Also feted were medal earners in the Asian Junior Wushu Championships.

Phl accounted for only one medal, a bronze courtesy of Mark Eddiva, in the previous Asiad in Guangzhou, China.

Wushu’s younger bets will vie in the world junior championships in Turkey, which will serve as a qualifying event for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. The Chinese martial art will be held as a demonstration event, much like the Chinese did with wushu in the Beijing Games.

Also in the calendar are world traditional wushu championships and the Sanda World Cup.