Wushu bets out to block way of the dragons

DOHA — Keen competition is seen among the aspiring Southeast Asian nations, led by the Philippines, and the established teams from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as wushu begins Monday in the Asian Games here.

Rene Catalan, a two-time world champion in the men’s 48kg sanshou, makes his debut in the heavier 52kg category as he takes on Utkir Hudoyarov of Kyrgyzstan starting at 2:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. in Manila) at the Aspire Hall 3.

Eleven gold medals are at stake in the men’s sanshou and men’s and women’s taolu events. There are six taolu events, including men’s changquan (combined changquan, daoshu and gunshu), women’s changquan (combined changquan, qiangshu and jianshu), men’s and women’s nanquan (combined nanquan, nanquan and nandao) and taijiquan (combined taijiquan and tiajijian).

The men’s sanshou events will be run in five weight divisions, ranging from 52kg to 70kg. Eduard Folayang, a bronze medalist in the Busan Asian Games, is paired with Ijaz Ahmed of Pakistan in the men’s 70kg prelims.

Folayang, Phoukhong Khamsounthone of Laos and Duc Trong Tran of Vietnam are the best bets of Southeast Asia as Thai siblings Angkhan Chomphuphuang and Sanchai Chomphuphuang, both gold medallists in Busan, are not around.

China will compete in all men’s sanshou weight divisions except 48kg and 52kg. The Chinese team is expected to dominate the event with a team led by the likes of Zhang Guangyong and Xu Yanfel, both world champions.

The other members of the RP wushu team are Mark Eddiva, Kenneth Lim, Rexel Nganhayna, Pedro Quina, Willy Wang and Janice Hung. — Dante Navarro