Wushu Winners Commended
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 31 Jan 2011
Six wushu aces who gifted the country honors in several international competitions last year, headed by World Cup silver medalist Jessie Aligaga and World Junior Championship winner John Keithley Chan, were honored by the Wushu Federation of the Philippines during the Recognition Night held Friday at the Sheraton Hotel.
The 27-yer-old Aligaga, eyed as the probable successor of former world champion and now retired Rene Catalan, swept his elimination, quarterfinal and semifinal assignments in advancing to the gold medal fights of the combat Sanda event, losing to Vietnamese Tapa Van Kien, who deprived him of what could have been a gold medal.
The son of a farm hand Wilfredo and wife Manleta in Iloilo Province in Western Visayas competed in the 48-kilogram event, where he was cinch to clinch another medal in the Asian Games, also held last year in Guangzhou, China had the host country not scrapped the discipline in its effort to dominate the sport originated in that country.
Chan, a promising 16-year-old from Baguio City reigned supreme in the taolu (spear) event in the World Juniors held Dec. 2-10 in Singapore besting a field of 12 from 46 countries.
Chan, son of a retired U.S. Navy officer Regino and wife Thelma, who tends to the family-owned sari-sari store, displayed perfect form in grace, speed, agility, flexibility and balance to earn the nod of the judges, who were unanimous in declaring him champion his division.
Also recognized were World Cup and Asian Games bronze medalist Mark Eddiva, Mary Jane Estimar, also a third placer in the World Cup held in Chongqing, China and Amado Benito Jr., bronze medal winner in the World Juniors
Eddiva, 25 and a former Asian champion in the 65-kilogram in combat sanshou discipline could not muster though his competitive form against the more superior opponents settling for only the third place in both the World Cup and the Asian Games.
Estimar, undoubtedly the finest combat fighter in the distaff side in the land fought in the 56-kilogram in sanda and, like Eddiva, came short of ending up higher than third in the World Cup.
No less than Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jian Chao and Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia were on hand to, assisted by WFP president Tan She Ling and secretary general Julian Camacho, to jointly hand the awards to the honorees.
Also witnessing the affair were International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines Frank Elizalde, PSC commissioner Chito Loyzaga, former WFP presidents Benito Lim and Jimmy Ong, long-time supporter Chan Kok Bin and members of the WFP board.
Chair Garcia, in his speech, commended the athletes? accomplishments saying ?their outstanding achievements in various international competitions are clear manifestations that the Filipinos can excel in sports propagated even by foreign countries like China.
Ambassador Liu, for his part, said ?Although wushu was originated in China, the country I represent, you demonstrated your excellence in these skills.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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