Almohaidib Abad and Alfau Jan Abad (L) of Philippines perform during men’s double final of Asian Games 2018 test event in Jakarta on February 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / BAY ISMOYO
MANILA, Philippines—Gearing up for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, Team Philippines bagged 11 medals, including a lone gold, at the end of the 6th Asian Pencak Silat Championships in Srinagar, India.
Alfau Jan Abad and Almohaidib Abad ruled the men’s double artistic (Seni Ganda Putra) event, auguring well in their bid to step onto the top flight of the medal podium in the coming SEA Games barely seven months from now.
Edmar Tacuel, a gold medalist in the men’s singles artistic (Seni Tunggal Putra) contest during the 2019 SEA Games, brought home a silver in his pet event.
The Abad siblings wound up as silver medalists in the same contest during the 2019 edition of the biennial meet.
Joining Tacuel were the silver-performing women’s trio artistic (Seni Regu Putri) team of Franchette Anne Tolentino, Jessa Dela Cruz and Ziara Mari Oquindo.
“We’re glad with our performance. All our artistic entries that competed won medals,” said Philippine Pencak Silat Association secretary general Inier Candor.
Eight bronze medals were claimed by the Filipinos at the close of the six-day meet with Alfau Jan Abad placing third in the men’s solo artistic (Seni Bebas Putra) and Angeline Virina winding up with a similar ranking in the female Tanding Class A.
Ziara Mari Oquindo (Class B), Jaciren Abad (Class C), Mark James Lacao (Class D), Ian Christopher Calo (Class E), Alvin Campos (Class E) and Joash Marino Cantoria (Class G) also settled for bronze medals.
Philippine pencak silat earned the distinction of winning the first gold medal for Team Philippines during the Vietnam SEA Games early this year courtesy of Mary Francine Padios in the women’s single Seni (artistic).
Alvin Tanilon Campos secured the bronze in the men’s 70-75kg Tanding in Vietnam while the men’s Seni team of Jefferson Rhey Loon Abilay, James El Mayagma and Rick Rod Ortega Luarez likewise reached the podium in third place.