Philippine wushu bets ready for SEAG

MANILA,Philippines — Members of the Philippine wushu team to the 30th SEA Games are hoping that they could familiarize themselves with the actual competition venue way ahead of the others.

Wushu in the coming SEA Games will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center from Dec. 1 to 3. The Philippines will host the biennial event from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

Two-time SEA Games gold medalist Daniel Parantac said familiarity with the venue could spell the difference in their bid to deliver the gold.

“If we can train in the actual venue at least two weeks before the competition, it will be good for us. Actually, the earlier, the better,” he said during the PSA Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Manila.

Parantac won the gold in taolu during the 2013 and 2015 SEA Games then finished fourth in 2017.

“We need to get used to the surface. Meron kasi surface na madulas and meron din makapit,” said Parantac, who was joined by fellow wushu athlete Agatha Wong, the SEA Games champion in taolu.

The Philippines will field 12 athletes in wushu, which offers 16 gold medals in sanda and taolu events. To prepare for the SEAG, they trained four months in China. They include Jessie Aligaga, Arnel Mandal, Carlos Baylon Jr., Francisco Solis, Clemente Tabugara Jr., Divine Wally and Jenifer Kilapio in sanda (combat; and Thornton Sayan, Jones Inso and Johnzenth Gajo in taolu (form), aside from Parantac and Wong.