Wushu bet bags World jr gold

MANILA, Philippines –  Baguio City’s John Keithley Chan and Amado Benito bagged gold and bronze medals, respectively, to highlight Team Philippines’ campaign in the third World Junior Wushu Championships in Singapore recently.

Chan followed in the footsteps of Francesca Ysabel Bernasconi and Luis Ngo who snatched the gold medals in spear play in the previous editions of the biennial blue ribbon event for wushu athletes aged 18 years and under.

A freshman in hotel and restaurant management at the University of the Cordilleras, Benito thrashed Kant Shashi in snaring the bronze medal in the sanshou or san da (combat) 48 kg division.

The other podium finishers in sanshou’s lightest class were Lee Trung Kien, Vietnam (gold); Okky Kurniawan, Indonesia (silver); and Wai Yan Lin, Myanmar (bronze).

 “John’s gold medal, the country’s third in as many world junior wushu championships stagings, is a testament to the strong junior program of WFP. It is my fondest hope John will not stop training until he becomes open world champion, ” said Wushu Federation Philippines president Tan She Ling.

WFP has produced 11 gold medals in world wushu championships.

China’s 19-strong squad grabbed 16 gold and two silver medals to dominate the world junior tilt where former world champion Willy Wang, the Philippines’ saving grace in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, debuted as international judge.

Aside from Chan and Benito, other members of the team were Jen Michael Salazar, Karisa Kris Chan, Dave Salazar, Vanessa Jo Chan, Faith Liana Andaya, Solomon Xavier Cardenas, Jean Claude Saclag, Antoncel Negpatic, Troy Bandiag and Lily Lim (team leader).     

The national wushu team was backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.