World Jr wushu: Omengan delivers gold-silver

Alieson Ken Omengan, who spent most of his time after school to perfect his form in the gym for five months, clinched  a gold medal recently in the 4th World Junior Wushu Championships held in Macau.

The 14-year-old from Baguio City ruled the men’s nangun, a floor exercise using a staff as weapon, to spearhead the country’s campaign in the meet that lured 300 wushu talents from 40 countries.

Omengan also salvaged a silver medal in men’s nanquan, a routine focusing on extensive hand techniques and strikes of the fists, as the top performer for the country which finished with two silvers and three bronze medals overall.

“It’s not easy to study and train for a world championship at the same time. But it’s all worth it,” said Omengan, a junior at the San Jose La Trinidad High School, in Filipino.

Tansuitong Candelaria, Omengan’s coach, said his apprentice doesn’t have a permanent training venue, forcing them to look for a gym every day where there’s no rent to pay.

“We train every day but we always look for a place to stay,” said Candelaria, a character villain in several Filipino martial arts films featuring Ramon Zamora and Rey Malonzo.

Ten-year-old Faith Liana Andaya of Baguio City captured the other silver in women’s jianshu while Noel Alabata (48kg) and Jean Claude Saclag (56kg) bagged bronze medals in the sanda.

Wushu Federation of the Philippines president Tan She Ling and secretary general Julian Camacho hosted lunch for the 11-man wushu team yesterday attended by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., secretary general Steve Hontiveros, Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia and commissioner Buddy Andrada.