Former ONE Championship champion Honorio Banario gives more muscle to the Philippine kickboxing team for the Southeast Asian Games this May in Hanoi, Vietnam as he expects to join 2019 gold medalists and teammates Jean Claude Saclag and Gina Iniong as well as silver medalists Jomar Balangui and Renz Dacquel.
The Team Lakay powered kickboxing team culled by the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas (SKP) will possibly have 11 athletes who have gone full throttle with their training for the biennial meet that has been delayed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joining Banario in the line-up are Claudine Veloso Gretle Depas, Daryl Chulipas, Kurt Lubrica, Jomar Balangui, Emmanuel Cantores and Carlos Alvarez
“We are hopeful to bag the over-all title in kickboxing with our line – up but Vietnam, will be our toughest competition again,” said Sangiao.
The team won three gold medals, including two silver and one bronze, during the 2019 Manila hosted SEAG and finished second to Vietnam which ended up with a 4-0-2 (gold-silver-bronze)..
The team just recently got a big boost and support from Benguet caretaker Eric Go Yap who assured the athletes that training facilities in Benguet will be available for them once the sports complex in La Trinidad is finished.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga atleta dahil sa kanilang sakripisyo and at the same time gusto ko I-assure na we are trying our best to fast track the completion of our sports facility in Benguet para dun sila maka pag training ng maayos,” added Yap.
(I am thankful to the athletes who are sacrificing their time and at the same time I assure them that we are fast tracking the completion of our sports facility so they can train properly.)
The 31st edition of SEAG will be held in Hanoi from May 12 to 23 from its original schedule in November 21 to December 2 last year.
Host Vietnam has scheduled 40 sports events including its national sport, Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art which involves the use of the hands, elbows, legs, knees and weapons such as swords, knives, chisels, claws, fans.
The Philippine vovinam team is expected to be led by the mullet-man Lito Adiwang, Carlo Bumina-ang, Renato Cha, Jr., Zephania Ngaya, Iniong and new ONE sensation Jenelyn Olsim, who won a silver in muay Thai in 2019.
