Riders' journey to the Worlds
-A A +ASaturday, October 6, 2012
IT'S just one more stop where Davao City riders will try to win tickets to the upcoming Cable Wakeboard World Championships.
But even before the final leg of the Philippine Qualifying Series wakeboard tournament concludes on Oct. 20 at Deca Clark Wakepark in Pampanga, multi-titled Maiquel "Mikee" Jawn Selga of Stella Maris Academy of Davao has already secured a slot to the Worlds having swept two titles in the second leg held recently at Deca Wakeboard Park in Tacunan, Mintal.
Her feat came on the heels of capturing the junior girls crown in the first leg at Lago de Oro early last month.
Selga, however, will still see action in the Pampanga stop of the series that serve as qualifying for the world championship to be held for the very first time in Asia.
A handful of Davao riders are expected to also try for the big shot, including Celina Cembrano, brothers Zech and Joshua Stephenson and Jose Antonio Hernandez. Cembrano was junior ladies champion in the Davao stop while Zech ruled the men's open wakeboard event. Joshua, for his part, clinched the junior men's open wakeskate even as Hernandez topped the junior boys wakeboard.
They are speeding up preparations for the third leg, hoping to earn the needed ranking points that will give them a spot to the much-awaited world competition.
DecaWake Davao general manager Michael Hudson, who also manages the Deca Clark Wakepark, earlier said the three-stop PQS series will determine the riders who will represent the Philippines to the biggest wakeboarding spectacle where some 300 riders from around the world will compete.
Hudson said, "The bi-ennial world championship will serve as a showcase of sort as the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation will bid for wakeboard's inclusion to the 2020 Olympics."
The inclusion of wakeboarding in the Olympic roster of events will be a welcome development for Filipino riders. Who knows the country may yet win the coveted Olympic gold medal come 2020 courtesy of a Dabawenyo. It's a great possibility.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 07, 2012.
Sports
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