THE seeds of goodwill sown by the Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation, led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, four years ago are expected to bear fruit in the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Asian Games in May.
Aside from the fact that the Filipino ethnic martial art is back in the regional games after a four-year absence, Pinoy campaigners will be able to compete in all the arnis events in Cambodia, according to a PEKAF source.
This is indeed a positive news considering the fact that Pinoy athletes will be limited to certain events in other combat sports.
“There is no restriction to the number of events that our arnis athletes can compete in the SEA Games,” the source said of the positive news.
“We treated the Cambodian sports officials well when they competed in arnis in the 30th SEA Games we hosted in 2019, and they even won a gold in the sport,” the source, who declined to be named, added.
The Cambodians won one gold, two silver and 17 bronze medals in arnis in 2019 at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Pinoy arnis standard-bearers, returning to the biennial sportsfest after a 14-year absence, dominated the competition with 14 gold, four silver and two bronze medals out of 20 events.
They were among the major contributors that enabled the Philippines to regain the overall championship with a grand haul of 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals.
The same source said PEKAF continues to show its gratitude and appreciation to the Cambodian organizers by sending instructors over to the host country while providing other logistical support they might need in staging the event.
“We have trained some of their athletes in kun bokator (a Cambodian ethnic martial art) by sending some of arnis our instructors to Cambodia, and, hopefully, we might hold a mini competition before the SEA Games among Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines if it is still possible,” he said.
He said that PEKAF will also stage its “Battle of Champions” at the end of the month at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium that will serve as the national team tryouts for the SEA Games.
“Our national athletes were laid off for a long while because of the COVID-19 pandemic so we are also looking for fresh blood who can help up us in our campaign in the Cambodia SEA Games with these tryouts,” he said.
Source: malaya
