Wushu bets kick off PH SEA Games bid today

THE PHILIPPINE campaign in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Burma (Myanmar) gets going today with the wushu bets getting the first crack at securing what officials predict would be a trickle of gold medals in the biggest sports conclave of the region.

Two gold medals in men’s taolu—wushu’s discipline of forms similar to karatedo’s kata—will be at stake in the duilian (2-3 performers with weapons) and changquan events at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw.

Also on tap are the finals in nanquan and jianshu of women’s taolu. The drawing of lots was held yesterday but task force members based in Manila have yet to receive the pairings.

Most of the 10 Filipino wushu warriors will be entered in the sanshou, the discipline’s combat event which will kick off with preliminary fights in the men’s and women’s 48 kg on Day One.

The Philippines captured two gold medals in the 2011 Indonesia Games courtesy of sanda fighters Mark Eddiva and Eduard Folayang.

With Eddiva and Folayang gone, the medal hopes this time are Jessie Aligaga, Dembert Arcita, Francisco Solis, Divine Wally, Evita Elise Zamora, Natasha Enriquez, Kariza Chan, Norlence Catolico, John Keithley Chan and Daniel Parantac should fill the void.