INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines – The Wushu Federation of the Philippines is yet to name its lineup for this year’s Southeast Asian Games, according to secretary general Julian Camacho.

Camacho said the performance of athletes in the World Wushu Championships on October 21-30 in Toronto, Canada will help determine who gets to compete in the Laos SEAG this December.

The Toronto tournament is significant because it draws participants from around 80 countries.

“Our athletes always bring home golds. They have been practicing everyday,” Camacho said in an interview.

The wushu national team is composed of 25 athletes. The WFP holds its annual national championships as part of its recruitment program.

“We look for athletes who are both intelligent and have excellent execution when it comes to forms,” said Camacho.

This year, WFP recruited around 15 new athletes from Baguio, joining others from Mountain Province, Ifugao, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro. They are headquartered at the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila.

In the 2007 SEAG in Thailand, the Philippines bagged seven medals in Wushu, including individual golds by Willy Wang and Marianne Mariano.