FOUR ACES. Four of Baguio and Benguet’s top arnis players who won medals in the last Southeast Asian Games, from left: Crisamuel Delfin (gold), Elmer Manlapas (gold), Eza Rai Yalong (bronze) and Abegail Dulawan. (Photo courtesy of Eliza Consul)
BAGUIO CITY – Arnis players from the Cordilleras are hoping the sport they love will be included in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) which Vietnam will be hosting.
Vietnam has recently released 36 events that they intend to include when they host the event in November next year.
Three events the Philippines dominated the last staging were omitted particularly arnis, triathlon, and obstacle course race (OCR). Despite the omission of the event, players here remain positive and still undergo their regular training.
Gold medalist Elmer Manlapas on Tuesday said he remains hopeful that arnis will be included as he is actively doing the training despite being home the past four months due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“(We are) still hoping that the arnis will be included in the SEA Games,” he told the Philippine News Agency through social media private message.
“Our training program continues,” added the 19-year-old student at the University of Baguio (UB).
Another gold medalist, Crisamuel Delfin is hoping that Philippine sports leaders like Philippine Olympics Committee chief Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will continue to lobby for the inclusion of the events which the country dominated in the last SEAG.
“Naghihintay pa rin kami ng update galing po sa PEKAF (Philippine Escrima, Kali Arnis Federation) at sa approval (We are still awaiting confirmation from the PEKAF and its approval),” Delfin said.
Delfin hogged headlines last year when he refused to play in the finals when he opted not to wear briefs under his loincloth, saying it is against his culture as a Cordilleran.
Delfin, who just finished his business management course at the Jose Rizal College in Binangonan, Rizal where he now leaves with his mother, later acceded into wearing a bikini brief and went on to win the gold in arnis-ano.
Despite the fear that arnis will not be included in the 31st SEAG, Delfin spends hours perfecting his moves in the sport he loves.
The Philippine arnis team won 14 gold medals, six silvers and two bronze medals, the best performing Filipino squad in the 30th SEA games.
Players from Baguio and Benguet accounted for three gold medals, a silver and bronze.
Aside from the two, players who went home with a medal are Abegail Abad (gold), Billy Joel Valenzuela (silver) and Eza Rai Yalong (bronze).
Also hoping for another SEAG appearance is obstacle course race athlete Sandi Menchi Abahan, who won the gold in that event last year. (PNA)
