TEAM Philippines made an impact at the 20th World Pencak Silat Championships at the ADNEC Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, thanks to the golden victories of siblings Alfau Jan and Almohaidib Abad.
The Abad brothers delivered a near-perfect execution in the Seni Ganda (Artistic Double) male event to secure the gold medal for the Philippines, which also clinched four silver and three bronze medals in the tournament participated in by 56 countries spanning Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania.
The Tanding (combat) category proved to be a fierce battleground for Filipino fighters, with four athletes advancing to the finals.
Rogielyn Parado showcased her skill and determination in the Female Class B weight category, defeating Nepal in the semifinals and securing a thrilling win against Singapore before settling for silver in the final round.
Similarly, Angeline Viriña demonstrated remarkable grit, reaching the finals in the Female Class S (under 45 kilograms) after an impressive victory against a Nepalese opponent in the semifinal.
In the men’s division, Alvin Campos advanced to the finals in the Male Class F (70-75 kilograms) after outlasting a strong contender from Singapore, while Mary Justine Acat made her mark in the Female Open Class 1.
Acat triumphed over Kenya in the semifinals, but fell short against Vietnam in the championship match.
Three Filipino athletes bagged bronze medals, headed by Edmar Tacuel in the Seni Tunggal (Artistic Single) Male category.
Harold Ralph Ungaya fought valiantly in the Male Class S (under 45 kilograms), narrowly losing to Thailand in the semifinals.
Gregmart Benitez rounded out the medal tally with a bronze in the Male Class C category after a hard-fought match against Vietnam.
