SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN. The Philippine team that won 11 medals at the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championships in Malaysia on Feb. 28 - March 6, 2023. A total of 28 Filipino athletes will compete in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games that will be hosted for the first time by Cambodia in May. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Philippines is hoping for a better performance in pencak silat at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
A total of 28 athletes, led by defending women's seni tunggal champion Mary Francine Padios and bronze medalists James El Mayagma and Rick Rod Ortega (men's team), and Alvin Campos (Tanding Class F 70-75kg.), will carry the national colors in the May 5 to 17 tournament to be hosted for the first time by Cambodia.
The Filipinos are competing in 17 events under pencak silat and nine events in Kun Bokator artistic, traditional martial arts in Cambodia.
Aside from Padios, also entered in pencak silat's artistic discipline are Jessa dela Cruz and Franchette Anne Elman (women's Seni Regu Tunggal), 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Edmar Tacuel (men's Seni Tunggal), and Abad siblings Alfau Jan and Almohaidib (men's Seni Ganda).
Seeing action in the Tanding discipline are Dines Dumaan (men's Class A 45-50 kg.), Daniel Duma-an (men's Class B 50-55 kg.), Gregmart Benitez (men's Class C 55-60 kg.), Denmark Abdurasad (men's Class D 60-65 kg.), Ian Christopher Calo (men's Class E 65-70 kg.), Miguel Ian Alangre (men's Class G 75-80 kg.), Joash Cantoria (men's Class 80-85 kg.), Shara Julia Jizmundo (women's Class A below 45 kg.), Angelie Viriña (women's Class A 45-50 kg.), Hanna Mae Ibutnande (women's Class B 50-55 kg.), Rogielyn Parado (women's Class C 55-60 kg.) and Angel-Ann Singh (women's Class D 60-65 kg.).
The line-up for Kun Bokator are Jasper Jay Lachica (men's singles Phkak form), Mayagma (men's group Bare Hands form and mixed group performance – female defense against 2 males), Ortega (men's group Bare Hands form and men's single Bare Hands form), Zandro Fred Jizmundo Jr. (men's group Bare Hands form and men's single Bokator Spirit form), Mark James Lacao (men's single Bamboo Shield form and mixed group performance), Jeremae Beato (mixed group performance form), Jude Mitz Jalandoni (women's single Phkak form), Angel Gwen Derla (women's single Bamboo Shield form and women's group Bare Hands form), and Shara Julie Jizmundo and dela Cruz (women's group Bare Hands form).
The national team has been training in Batangas since March 15.
"At present, we are conducting our isolation training in Lipa City. The plan is until May 2 but the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) gave us only 30 days," said Philsilat Sports Association, Inc. (PSAI) secretary-general Inier Candor in an interview on Friday.
"We're hoping that the PSC will extend our training. If not, on April 15, we will be out of here and we don't know where else can we train before the SEA Games."
The PSAI is aiming for three golds and more silver and bronze medals in pencak silat, while in Kun Bokator, the target is two golds and several silvers and bronzes.
All eyes will be on 20-year-old Padios, who produced the Philippine delegation's first gold medal in Vietnam last year.
"Honestly, I don't know my chance of winning the gold medal again in the upcoming SEA Games. But if God's plan is for me to achieve it again, all thanks to God," said the 2019 Manila SEA Games silver medalist.
"There is only one thing I can do and promise to all, I'll be performing my very best at all cost. I will show that the Philippines is hard to beat in my category, too," said Padios, who hails from Kalibo, Aklan.
She is a college freshman at Arellano University.
Alfau Jan and his younger brother Almohaidib may pull off surprises after topping the men’s double artistic event at the 2022 Asian Pencak Silat Championships in India where the Philippines bagged 11 medals.
Making their debut in Cambodia are cousins Shara Julie Jizmundo and Zandro Fred Jizmundo Jr., Parado, Derla, Benitez, and Lachica.
"We have newcomers and we are confident they'll snatch medals for the country. Most of them won at the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championships early this month," said Candor, designated as team manager for the Cambodia-bound squad.
In Sarawak, the Philippines captured 10 medals, including two golds from Shara Julia Jizmundo, dela Cruz, and Elman (women's Regu) and Mary Justine Acat (Tanding women's Open weight).
The other medalists were Beato and Jalandoni (silver, women's Ganda), Tacuel (bronze, men's tunggal), Derla (bronze, freestyle artistic), Viriña (bronze, Class A), Ibutnande (bronze, Class B), Parado (bronze, Class C), and Stephen Suazo (bronze, men's Open weight).
"Shara is a product of pencak silat's grassroots program and a consistent gold medalist in both Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa. She's been playing and competing since she was 7 years old. Her father is coach Freddie Jizmundo Jr., who also taught Francine pencak silat from her younger years," shared Candor.
"We are all set and ready but we are not resting on our laurels. Our athletes want to bring honor to the country by way of winning medal."
Jizmundo Jr. heads the national team coaching staff composed of Christopher Yabut (Tanding men's), Irendin Lepatan (Seni women's), Nerlyn Huinda (Tanding women's) and Christian Paolo Eslava (strength and conditioning).
The Philippines placed sixth behind Vietnam (6 golds, 2 silvers, and 5 bronzes), Singapore (4-3-4), Malaysia (2-3-9), Thailand (2-2-4), and Indonesia (1-5-3) in the Vietnam Games last year.
Brunei was seventh (0-1-1) followed by Laos (0-0-3). (PNA)
