JAKARTA—The Filipino wushu artists opted to watch the opening ceremony of the Jakarta Palembang 18th Asian Games on Saturday night from the comfort of their rooms at the Athletes Village as the team put more premium on their competition that starts on Sunday at the Jakarta International Expo.
National sanda (sparring) Head Coach Jessie Aligaga said putting premium on the events would give his wards more time to prepare in their bid for the medals.
“The atheletes are tired, and then they still have a weigh-in and training tomorrow [Saturday] so they can’t join the opening ceremonies,” Aligaga said in a mix of English and Filipino of his charges, who arrived here together with him close to midnight on Friday with some members of the fencing and softball teams.
The opening ceremony is one of the most taxing in any international multisport competitions—the Olympics and Southeast Asian Games included. Delegations are required to be at the venue four hours before the traditional 6 p.m.start and head back for the Village at close to midnight.
Among those who won’t join the traditional parade of teams are 2014 Incheon Asian Games silver medalist Daniel Parantac and Agatha Krystenzen Wong, who bagged a gold and silver medal in taolu (forms) at the 2017 Malaysia Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur last year.
A SEA Games gold medalist in the 2013 edition held in Myanmar, Aligaga cited the case of Jean Claude Saclag, an Incheon 2004 Asiad silver medalist, who went down to 48 kilos from his former 52-kilogram class so he could see action here.
“Katulad ni [take for example] Jean Claude, gutom na gutom na ’yan [he’s quite hungry now] just to make his fighting weight for the weigh-in on Saturday, so [he can no longer attend the] opening ceremonies,” he said.
Making her Asian Games debut is Wong, 21, a 2016 world junior champion in taolu, who said that she did not regret not being part of the inaugural ceremonies, saying: “As long I can do my very best here and make my country proud, I will be content.”
The wushu exponents are aiming to surpass their previous haul of two silvers and one bronze medal in the Incheon edition four years ago.