SIX Filipino dancesport pairs, bannered by 2021 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games triple gold medalists and the husband-and-wife couple of Seam Mischa and Ara Leonila Nualla-Aranar, will make their debut in the 12th World Games scheduled Aug. 7 to 17 in Chengdu, China.
Philippine Dancesport Federation treasurer and director Benny Lao said the other members of the crack national dancesport team include the tandem of Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen, also a Vietnam SEA Games gold medalist, and the duo of Von Elijah Lavado and Allyssa Dator, who will join the Aranars in the standard event.
In the Latin category, the partners seeing action are Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Caneda, Vietnam SEAG silver medalist; Jefferson Pimentel and Mary Desiree Seraga, and Andrew Ysla and Noelin Mie Pedrano, according to Lao.
“The coaches who will join them are Emmanuel Reyes for Standard and Ronnie Steve Vergara in Latin,” added Lao, who noted this is the first time that country will compete in the discipline, marking its eighth appearance in the quadrennial sportsfest for non-Olympic sports.
The PDSF official said the six couples made it to the World Games based on the quarterly ranking competitions conducted by the PDSF and their experience in international competition.
Dancesport secretary general Laida Maquilan said the Philippines was invited to the World Games meet and did not have to go through a qualifying competition, most likely given the strong track record of PH pairs in international play.
Maquilan added that the Filipino campaigners will be battling for honors with 23 other pairs in both the Standard and Latin divisions.
While PH dancesport bets are dominant at the Southeast Asian level, Lao said that achieving a podium finish would be difficult given the top caliber international entries in the World Games.
Lao said the Aranars, who also bagged three golds in the 2019 Philippine SEA Games and are many-time national champs in the Standard event, have the best chance of securing a medal in the prestigious world meet.
The PH dancesport standard-bearers will be part of the huge national contingent that will bid to surpass the achievement of the previous campaign in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, where karateka Junna Tsukii went home with a gold medal in the women’s 50kg of kumite (sparring).
Among those who will see action in Chengdu are cue aces Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeneo and Jeffrey de Luna in the women’s and men’s 10-ball events, respectively.
The team also features duathletes Kim Mangrobang, Merry Joy Trup and Franklin Yee; jiu-jitsu athletes Jenna Kaila Napolis and Annie Ramire and Anais Fiona Vintalas, karateka Catarina Dias, kickboxer Hergie Bacyadan, sambo exponent Aislin Agnes Yap, powerlifters Regie Ramirez and Joyce Reboton, the men’s and women’s dragon boat team, wakeboarder Raphael Trinidad, wushu’s Carlos Baylon Jr., Jones Llabres Inso and Agatha Wong.
