Dancers targeting 13 golds

ANGELES, Pampanga, Philippines — Noted as a heavyweight in the sport, the Philippines hopes to live up to expectations as it tries to sweep all 13 gold medals in dancesport in the 30th SEA Games at the Royce Hotel in Clark Freeport Zone here today.

“If we can go for a sweep, we’ll do it,” said Dancesport Council of the Philippines president Becky Garcia.

To make it happen, Garcia said they tapped two foreign coaches in Polish Alina Novak and Russian Alexander Melnikov to prepare and train the national team for this one-day event.

Novak is a former world champion in the adult Latin division while Melnikov is a world-renowned coach in balance, coordination and movement.

The team also trained in Italy for one month.

“We had a good preparation and our athletes are ready,” said Garcia.

The team is bannered by Cebu-based dancers Wibert Aunzo and Pearl Caneda in Latin, Jayson Gayon and Marie Joy Renigen in standard, Yer Lord Ilyum Gabriel and Alyanna Talam in breakdancing, Sean Micha Aranar and Ana Leonila in standard and Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo in Latin.