Baguio SEAG wushu players to train in China

By Pigoen Lobien

BAGUIO CITY – Five wushu players from Cordillera will undergo a five-month training in China as part of their preparation for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines will host from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year.

“(May) 28 or 30 po ang sabi sa amin (We were told, we will leave on May 28 or 30),” said Divine Wally, a former world wushu champion, in an interview with Philippine News Agency on Wednesday.

Wally, a bronze medalist in the 2018 Asian Games and former SEA Games gold medalist, said they will undergo training at the Wuhan University in Hubei, one of the elite Chinese universities and oldest in China.

“Sa Wuhan University po kami this time, kasi taga dun yung bagong Chinese coach namin (This time, we will train at Wuhan University because our Chinese coach came from there),” said Wally, who will compete in the Sanda category.

Wally will be joined by Daniel Parantac, Gideon Padua, Thornton Quiney Sayan and Jones Inso.

“It is a tentative date, but then we will surely be flying for China to train for the SEA Games late this year,” said Parantac, also former SEAG gold medalist, in a separate message to PNA.

While training in China, they will compete in the 15th World Wushu Championship from Oct. 19 to 23 in Hong Kong.

“We have hectic scheduled because from China, we have World champ then SEA Games,” added Parantac, who will compete in “taiji”, a traditional Chinese exercise.

Parantac, the team captain, will represent the Philippine wushu team in the “Taolu” category.

Parantac, Sayan and Inso - along with Agatha Wong, won gold medals in the first Traditional Wushu Championship in Nanjing, China in December last year. -- PNA