MARIA MAE BALLESTER pocketed two gold medals in arnis while wrestler Alliah Rose Gavales made the podium in two junior cadet categories in the 8th Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Women’s Martial Arts Festival at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Wednesday.
Ballester ruled the senior’s traditional single weapon and double weapon in the forms competition, a similar feat that Melody Legaspi and Cloie Tutor pulled off in the junior division.
Tutor convinced the judges in traditional single and double weapon events while Legaspi impressed at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium with a near-flawless routine in the non-traditional single and double weapon.
At the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Gavales brought down Cathlyn Vergara, 4-1, in the gold-medal match of the 63-kg freestyle event and picked up a silver in the 57-kg traditional category after dropping her match against a more experienced Amber Arcilla, 10-9.
Besides the 19-year-old Gavales, cadet wrestlers Charmel Gem Angana (53 kgs freestyle), Hannah Khariz Alipala (57 kgs traditional), Xylem Villanueva (68kgs), Kristine Joy Oberez (52 kgs classic) and M-Jhay Cater (58 kgs) topped their respective divisions.
Junior freestyle grappler Nashica Tumasis (53 kgs) and classic junior wrestlers Melissa Tumasis (52 kgs), Nicole Pinlac (58 kgs) and Rhea Cervantes (63 kgs) emerged triumphant at the festival organized by the PSC with the backing of Pocari Sweat and Go21.
Veteran grapplers from the national team didn’t disappoint either as Jiah Pingot subdued Lady May Carabuena in the freestyle senior 53 kgs class and Grace Loberanes defeated Kimberly Jhoy Bondad in the 57 kgs traditional event.
The other winners in the national sport of arnis were Angelyn Datuin in the senior non-traditional single weapon, Cristine Mae Nacua in the senior non-traditional double weapon and the trio of Angela Callanta, Eliyah Cervantes and Liendhzay Gigante in the synchronized mixed traditional-espada y daga event.