Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 16) – The 21-member strong Philippine pencak silat team is bracing for a tough challenge as major changes in competition rules will be applied in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
Philsilat Sports Association secretary-general Inier Candor shared to CNN Philippines that the sport underwent a major revision in its rules, which will be implemented in the upcoming biennial regional sports event.
“The team is training doubly hard especially now that our IF (international federation) has changed around 80% of the competition rules,” said Candor, who noted that the national pencak silat team is on a training bubble in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya since November last year.
Candor said that grappling and striking an opponent’s back are now allowed in the pencak silat disciplines.
The Philsilat Sports Association official also elaborated on some major changes in the scoring system.
“Before, one can score two points plus a point when you successfully defended an attack and you strike back. Now, you cannot do that,” Candor said.
He demonstrated, “For instance, you were kicked and you catch the opponent’s leg (and made a) punch, that’s two points for catching the leg plus one point for the strike. Now, only the strike has a score.”
Candor also mentioned that pulling an opponent’s baju – a competitor’s attire in pencak silat – and pinning the person down is now permitted.
The scoring from rounds one to three will now be added to determine the winner of the match, unlike before when the best score from the three rounds decides the match’s victor.
Candor expressed optimism that the national pencak silat team will improve from its one gold-two silvers-one bronze medal harvest in 2019 at home soil.
“So far all of our tanding athletes who will be competing under certain weight categories are on weight,” he said.
2019 SEA Games bronze medalist Dines Dumaan (Class B) leads the nine-strong tanding or combat athletes with playing coach Nerlyn Huinda (Class E). The rest of the team include Jhon Paul Acat (Class H), Nicholas Adante (Class C), Kaye Aliganga (Class F), Raymund Bueno (Class G), Alvin Campos (Class F), Mark Lacao (Class D), and Stephen Suazo (Class J).
In the seni or artistic pencak silat events, 2019 SEA Games lone gold medalist Edmar Tacuel will lead a 12-personnel charge.
Brothers Alfau Jan and Almohaidib Abad will attempt to improve from their silver medal finish in the ganda doubles men’s event in 2019, same as fellow silver medalist Francine Padios in the tunggal solo female event.
The other Filipino seni competitors are Jeremae Beato (ganda doubles female), Jessa Dela Cruz (regu trio female), Franchette Elman (regu trio female), Mitz Jalandoni (ganda doubles female), Jefferson Loon (regu trio male), James El Mayagma (regu trio male), Ziara Oquindo (regu trio female), and Rick Rod Ortega (regu trio male).
The Vietnam SEA Games pencak silat competitions are slated from May 10 to 16.
