PHNOM PENH. – Noelito Garcia Jr. is not regretting his shift from arnis to fencing because he has a handful of Southeast Asian Games medals to show for it.
Garcia, 26, who made the decision to become a fencer in 2015, grabbed a silver in the men’s epee individual event last Saturday in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at Hall D of the OCIC Wedding Center in Chroy Changvar District here.
“Para sa akin tama lang ang pagpalit ko ng sport kasi masaya ako sa naabot ko,” said Garcia, who also won a silver in the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games and bronze in the 2019 Philippine edition.
His chase for the elusive gold continues late Sunday as he competes for the epee team, which is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
He shifted to fencing because arnis wasn’t part of the UAAP calendar.
Garcia, who began practicing the Filipino martial arts while he was in Grade 5, had his biggest accomplishment as an “arnisador” when he bagged the gold in the 2013 Dumaguete Palarong Pambansa secondary boys’ (51-55) featherweight division.
