By Alexander Lopez / PNA
DAVAO CITY—Australia dominated the ninth Siargao International Women’s Surfing Cup held at Cloud 9 of General Luna town in Surigao del Norte.
Australian surfer Philippa Anderson emerged as the champion, while compatriot Mikaela Green placed second.
Anderson bagged the $2,500 championship prize; Green got $1,500. Filipina surfer Nilbie Blancada settled for third place in a tie with another Australian, Freya Prumm.
Both Blancada and Prumm received cash prizes of $1,000 each.
General Luna Mayor Jaime Rusillon expressed gratitude to the women surfers from different countries who joined the four-day competition.
Aside from the Philippines, women surfers from Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, France, Australia, Brazil and Taiwan also came in to compete.
The world surfing event was considered as a qualifying series by the World Surf League. Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Jose F. Matugas II in a statement expressed high hopes Filipino surfers will bring in the first Olympic gold for the country. “Surfing for both men and women is our biggest chance to win Olympics gold,” Matugas said, adding surfing will be one of the events in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He said they would form the Philippine Surfers Federation to support surfers across the country, from Davao Oriental, Samar, Leyte, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Palawan, Zambales, Bicol, Catanduanes and Sorsogon. Surfers from the Cloud 9 Surfers Association in Siargao and the members of Manila Surfers Club will also join the federation, Matugas said.
“We can identify who are the best and brightest surfers in the country once this federation is formed,” he added.
The best surfers, Matugas said, will comprise the Philippine surfing team who will compete in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Image credits: World Surfing League website