THE kickboxing team is tempering expectations when it makes its Southeast Asian Games debut in the 30th edition of the biennial event the country is hosting.
Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas Secretary-General Atty. Wharton Chan would not commit the number of gold medals the eight-man Filipino squad is capable of winning in the competition slated from December 6 to 10 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
But he believes everyone on the team is competent for a medal.
“As much as we want to be confident, we also want to be modest. Our assessment for the SEA Games is that everyone would be a medalist,” Chan told before the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.
“We hope and pray each and every athlete would be successful in their respective categories. We are also focused on promoting the sport as well as giving these athletes the break [they need],” he added.
Chan was accompanied by three of the participating athletes and two of the team’s coaches in the weekly forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Among the members of the team present in the session were Ruel Catalan (57 kg), Karol Maguide (51 kg), Jerry Olsim (69 kg), and Rex De Lara (60 kg) along with boxing coach Glenn Mondol.
Completing the squad that will compete in full contact, low kick, and kick light are Jomar Balaguid (54 kg), Jean Claude Saclag (63 kg), and the women duo of Renz Daquel (48 kg) and Gina Iniong (55 kg).
The team trained under the supervision of two-time Olympian Donald Geisler and Mark Sangyao of the celebrated Team Lakay.
Expected to give the Filipinos a run for the gold are regional power Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam.
The national team set up its training camp in the high mountains of La Trinidad, Benguet, and had their foreign exposures in Taiwan and Cambodia, where it just recently arrived.
The team is expected to travel back to Baguio for its final weight training before going back to Manila in time for the SEA Games.
Image credits: Roy Domingo