Philippines proves superiority in arnis
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2019 05:34:52 +0000
True to its prediction, the Philippine arnis team emerged overall champion in the 30th Southeast Asian Games with a total medal haul of 14 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals. Arnis is the Philippines’ national martial art and sport.
Crisamuel Delfin topped the men’s open-weapon non-traditional category while Mary Allin Aldeguer shone in the women’s class to give the Philippines two more gold medals on Tuesday at the Angeles University University Foundation here.
The Philippines grabbed 14 of the 20 gold medals at stake with three other countries sharing the remaining six — Vietnam copped four, Cambodia one and Vietnam one.
In the traditional open weapon finals, Mark David Puzon and Ryssa Jezzel Sanchez bagged a silver medal apiece.
The 14 gold medal haul matched the projection of Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation President Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.
The Philippines is leading the overall medal tally with 43 gold, 21 silver, and 14 bronze medals, followed by closest pursuers Vietnam (17-23-17) and Malaysia (10-2-7). JEAN RUSSEL V. DAVID