'Laro ng Lahi-Ifugao' to feature 5 combat sports

MANILA, Philippines – Five major combat sports make up the coming Laro ng Lahi-Ifugao set in the municipality of Lagawe over the weekend.

Boxing, wushu, wrestling, weightlifting and taekwondo will be featured in the all-women event set July 8-9.

A total of 400 participants are seeing action in the two-day meet to be held at the Lagawe Town Plaza and Village Park.

“The project is to support the grassroots program of Ifugao and mandated by the Philippine Commission on Women na laging nagpapa-alala na huwag kalimutan ang indigenous sports,” said PSC commissioner Bong Coo in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“Since tinutulungan namin ang Ifugao sa grassroots program at tsaka maraming IP (Indigenous People) sa kanila, so kinausap namin sila kung puwede kaming magsagawa ng IP sports doon.”

The meet is in coordination with Ifugao Gov. Jerry Dalipog and Executive Assistant Agustin Calya-en.

Coo added in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation that ethnic cultural games will likewise be part of the calendar of events.

The cultural sports, nine in all, are labba race, guyyudan (tug of war), kadang-kadang, dopop di babuy, manbayu, hanggul, huktingan, bultung, dopap di manuk.

As added incentive, the provincial government of Ifugao initiated on its own a coaching certification on technical officials who are going to participate.

At the same time, the local government is in the process of building a covered court to house their local athletes.