Phil. Wrestling and Karate Teams at SCOOP
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 Jan 2013
MANILA (PNA) -- The Wrestling Association of the Philippines is embarking on an ambitious 10-month training program in Iran for six Filipino grapplers in preparation for this year?s Southeast Asian Games in December in Myanmar.
?We in the WAP realize the importance of the coming SEA Games for our future campaigns in the bigger arenas so that we thought of preparing our athletes for that in the hope of making good, too, in next year?s Asian Games, ? WAP President Albert Balde announced Friday during the SCOOP Session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
?Our efforts though, which will be made possible through the kindness of the Philippine sports Commission, doesn?t end there,? Balde added.
?We, likewise, would like to send as many Filipino wrestlers as possible to the different Olympic qualifying competitions so we can be able to raise our flag in the Summer Games in 2016 in Brazil.
WAP secretary general Karlo Sevilla, who accompanied Balde to the session, sponsored by Powerade, AKTV and FILA, said from two gold medals the Filipino strongmen scooped up in 2011 in Laos, the association?s board looks forward to raise that medal production to four.
?Iran is in the top three in the world standing in wrestling and we hope that members of our national team can learn a lot in their 10-month training stint in that county,? Sevilla said.
Heading the Iran-bound grapplers are 2011 gold medalists Margarito Angana and Jason Balabal, who ruled the 55-kilogram Greco Roman event and 84-kilogram Greco Roman in Laos.
Joining the duo are four products of WAP? developmental program that emerged in the past editions of the PSC-organized Philippine National Games. They are Alvin Lobreguitoi, Noel Morada, Joseph Angana and Jonyy Morte.
Lobreguito will be honing his skills in the 60-kg freestyle, Morada in the 66-kg. Greco Roman, Angana, the youngest in the Angana-wrestling family, in the 60-kg. freestylke and Morte in the 55-kg. Greco Roman.
National coach Jimmy Angana and Iranian mentor Askan Ghaedrahmat will be joining the Iran trip.
Members of the Philippine youth karatedo team that landed a silver medal and a pair of bronze medals in the recent Asia Pacific Shitoryu Championships held in Hong Kong Deember 15-16 last year, likewise, appeared as guests in the forum.
Accompanied by PKF vice president for Southern Luzon Dennis Aquino, those who attended the session were silver medalist Novaeed Tahir and bronze medalists Danniel Caunin and Miguel Sora. Novaeed ended up the second best in the 13-14 bracket for boys kumite, in the 15-16 boys kumite and Sora in the 9-10 boys kumite. Coach is Jonas Ragenil.
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