SEA Games: Bañares, Cunamay seal PH men’s arnis live sticks sweep

Philippine’s Villardo Cunamay celebrates with his medal during victory ceremony for the men’s light weight +60kg final arnis match at the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Clark City, Tarlac province, northern Philippines on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Villardo won gold. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Philippine arnis team swept the men’s live stick competitions with four golds in 2019 Southeast Asian Games Sunday.

Mike Bañares won the top prize in the men’s 65kg and above, beating Vietnam’s Thai Viet Phu while Villardo Cunamay reigned in the men’s above 60 kg after edging Cambodia’s Mengly Yong.

Earlier, Dexler Bolambao and Nino Mark Talledo delivered the first two medals for the arnis delegation, which is looking for a sweep of all the men’s and women’s events.

The country’s female bets try to replicate the men’s medal output with also four golds at stake in their live stick events Sunday night.