Pinoy arnisador, papalo ng overall C’ship sa SEA Games

Paghakot ng gold medals ang pakay ng Filipino martial arts arnisador sa nalalapit na 30th Southeast Asian Games at may 12 ginto ang nakataya ayon kay Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (PEKAF), na pinamumunuan Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri para sa inaasam na overall championship sa biennial meet simula sa Nob. 30-Dis. 11.

“This is an exciting time for arnis in the country.We (PEKAF) are confident that arnis could very well be a gold mine for the country in the SEA Games,” ayon kay PEKAF executive vice president Gerald Cañete sa 49th “Usapang Sports” ng Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) sa National Press Club sa Intramuros kasabay ng unang taon na anibersaryo ng forum. “We could win 11 to 12 golds in arnis. In fact, wec an get as many as eight golds right on the first day of competitions,” dagdag ni Cañete, na kinatawan ang Senador sa weekly sports program na ginabayan ng Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, PAGCOR, at ng Community Basketball Association.

Si Cañete, na siya ring competition manager ng arnis, ay nagsasanay ng may 20 arnis practitioners, tig-10 sa kalalakihan at kababaihan. “They are definitely the best and the brightest arnis players we have right now. They were selected after three rigid qualifying tournaments in Luzon, VIsayas and Mindanao, and another one in the National Capital Region,” aniya na kung saan ang kanyang ama na si Dionisio ay kinokonsiderang “Father of Arnis “ sa bansa.

Sinabi rin ni PEKAF Executive Director Andrus Dominic Lacbayo na ang Vietnam ang pinakamabigat na kalaban ng Pilipinas para sa overall title sa arnis. “Vietnam is very good in arnis, too. Myanmar and Cambodia can also win a few gold medals. But I am sure we will get most of the gold medals at stake. Nasa forum din si national team coach Steven Achita at players Jeric Arce at Jeanette Agapito. Unang salang ito nina Arce at Agapito, sa SEA Games at nangakong gagawin ang lahat upang magwagi ng medalyang ginto, pilak at tanso para sa bansa.

Magsisimula ang arnis competitions sa Dis. 1 sa Angeles University Foundation kung saan may 8 gold medals ang nakataya sa men’s at women’s live stick events. Walo ring gold ang nakataya sa Dis. 2 sa padded sticks, at apat sa Dis. 3 sa anyo forms.