(Our two bronze medalists in last year's SEA Junior and Cadet Wrestling Championship: Joshua Gayuchan of Ifugao in the foreground, extreme right, and Alvin Lobreguito of Quezon City, during the opening ceremony's parade inside the Institute of Physical Education Hall, Suphanburi, Thailand.)
We in the Wrestling Association of
the Philippines (WAP) are sending off 17 young Filipino wrestlers—our national sports association's biggest-ever international athletic delegation since 1997*—who will fly to Suphanburi, Thailand tonight to compete
in the 6th Southeast Asian Junior and Cadet Wrestling Championship
from May 3 – 5, 2013.
From a token delegation of only
three wrestlers in last year’s edition of the championship, this time WAP
fields a much bigger Philippine Youth Wrestling Team with the hope of
proportionately increasing our chances of winning more medals than the
two-bronze medal output in 2012. Last year’s bronze medals were bagged by
Joshua Gayuchan of Ifugao and Alvin Lobreguito of Quezon City.
Gayuchan, who still belongs to
the cadet (16-17 years old) division, will lead the Philippine Youth Wrestling
Team with the goal of winning gold this time around. Lobreguito, on the other
hand, has already graduated to the senior-age division at 21, and is
concentrating on the 2013 Southeast Asian Games instead, which will be hosted
by Myanmar this December.
While it will be very gratifying
for us if all of our wrestlers will bring home medals, the truth is this team
is composed of young athletes with varying competitive levels. Some are
expected to win, some are expected more to learn, but all are expected to become
better athletes and individuals.
Still, for the record, we find it
a safe bet that they’ll take home a minimum of three gold medals.
In our 2013 Philippine NationalYouth Wrestling Championship last April 12-14, WAP qualified a total of 47
athletes for the Thailand event (which allows two athletes per weight class per
country) but only 17 received funding. Six are funded by the Philippine Sports
Commission (PSC), eight are supported by WAP, two athletes from New Era
University (NEU) are sponsored by the Iglesia Ni Cristo and one from
Mandaluyong City has all expenses paid by his family.
This year’s Philippine Youth
Wrestling Team is made up of Baguio City’s Rosegyn Malabja, Minalyn Foy-os,
Jerald Bosikaw and David Caoli; NEU’s Kristine Jambora, Nikkita Suarez and
Brylle Magnabijon; Quezon City’s Meldion Piñon, King Bryan Guingona and
Jefferson Manatad; Taytay’s Joseph Cañolas and Michael Jay Cater Sedano; Ifugao’s
Joshua Gayuchan; Zamboanga City’s Marlou Onrubia; Makati City’s Richelle Piolo;
Mandaluyong City’s Vince Palanca and Dumaguete City’s Ronil Tubog.
Serving the team as coaches for
this international meet are national team Head Coach Roel Pacional and
Greco-Roman Coach Roy Camposano, and NEU women’s wrestling and incoming national
coach Maribel Jambora-Angana. Their team manager is WAP President Juan Alberto
Balde.
WAP is still raising support for
the other qualifiers who can’t make it to Thailand, to be able to see action in
the much tougher Asian Junior Championship in Phuket, Thailand from June 13-16
and to the Asian Cadet Championship in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from July 25-28.
Update: Click here to see PHL Youth Wrestling Team results!
Update: Click here to see PHL Youth Wrestling Team results!
Those who want to help our participation in the abovementioned Asian Junior
and Cadet Championships can deposit to our following Philippine National Bank
(PNB) Harrison Plaza Branch accounts: 1) Account name: Wrestling Association of
the Philippines, 2) Peso Account No. 411912700014 and/or 3) Dollar Account No.
411912700030. Any amount will be deeply appreciated—and needed. Those who wish
so will be duly acknowledged. Thank you for your support.
*In 1997, the WAP fielded a total of 23 athletes for that year's Southeast Asian Senior Wrestling Championship in Vietnam.
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*In 1997, the WAP fielded a total of 23 athletes for that year's Southeast Asian Senior Wrestling Championship in Vietnam.
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