FOR making its presence felt from the Southeast Asian region all the way to the world stage, the Wushu Federation of the Philippines is on top of the honor roll list of the Annual Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night, presented by MILO and San Miguel Corp.
The federation will be awarded with the National Sports Association of the Year award during the Feb. 13 formal rites to be hosted by well-known broadcaster and sports analyst Quinito Henson and the ever lovely Patricia Bermudez-Hizon at the One Esplanade in Pasay City.
The WFP capped a highly successful campaign in 2015 by winning two gold medals in the 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia courtesy of Divine Wally and Arnel Mandal.
Wally, the 19-year-old native of Baguio City, won the gold in the 48 kg division by outclassing Luan Thi Hoang of Vietnam in the finals, 2-0. Not to be outdone, the 20-year-old Mandal from Iloilo City, clinched the same honor in the men’s 52-kg sanda finals by beating Uchit Sharma of India, 2-1.
Both Wally and Mandal were in contention for the prestigious Athlete of the Year award solely handed out by the country’s sportswriting fraternity, and later given out to world boxing champion Donnie Nietes and Nonito Donaire Jr. and Asian Tour winner Miguel Tabuena.
The WFP has also been previously named NSA of the Year by the PSA during its traditional awards night also presented by MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, Maynilad, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Senator Chiz Escudero, SM Holdings, ICTSI, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Basketball Association, Accel, Globalport, Rain or Shine, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Daniel Parantac began the ball rolling for the Filipino wushu bets when he won the sport’s lone gold in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore by ruling the men’s optional taijiquan and besting entries from Malaysia and Indonesia.
The national team went on to stamp its class anew in the Asian Junior Wushu Championship led by Ken Alieson Omengan in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
Omengan spearheaded the country four gold medal haul by topping the boys’ nanquan and nandao events, duplicating his two-gold medal output in the same meet during the 2013 edition held in Manila.
Agatha Chrystenzen Wong and Spencer Bahod then added two more golds as the Filipinos swept the boys and girls’ taiijian events, respectively.
The WFP shares the limelight with other top awardees of the gala night that also included Gilas Pilipinas (President’s Award), Alyssa Valdez (Ms. Volleyball) and the cage duo of Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo (Mr. Basketball).