Friday, January 04, 2008 Doce Pares gears up for three major events
CEBU'S world-renowned Doce Pares International of Grandmaster Dionisio “Dionnie” Cañete gears up for a busy year 2008 highlighted by three major events this July.
“This is indeed a busy year for Doce Pares,” said GM Cañete at the Baseline Restaurant yesterday. “We expect too many people coming. We expect around 1,000 foreign visitors for the three events.”
First of the three blockbuster tournaments being lined up by Doce Pares is the World Cup FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) slated on July 19-20 at the Moalboal Sports Complex.
The World Cup FMA will be staged in partnership with Grandmaster Max Pallen, the originator of Senkotiros (Five Strikes). The proud Bicolano owns a huge training facility in Moalboal for Senkotiros followers and aspiring martial artists in the southernmost part of Cebu Province. Pallen established the main headquarters of his Senkotiros in 1968 in San Leandro, California.
Also, the World Cup FMA serves as a tune-up for 10th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (Wekaf) Championships set from July 22 to 25 at the SM City-CebuTrade Hall.
Wekaf executive director Gerald O. Cañete said the biennial World Arnis Championships, which is a highly-anticipated competition among arnis practitioners from both hemispheres of the globe, is getting bigger with 27 countries taking part in the three-day tilt.
New members
“This is because we have three new member countries—Taiwan (Chinese-Taipei), Guam and Chile,” said the younger Cañete, who is helping out his father GM Dionnie in running the affairs of Doce Pares.
Alongside the World Arnis Championships is the WEKAF World Congress on July 22.
As part of its extensive selection process for the country’s representatives to the Wekaf championships, a qualifying tournament will be held billed as “Quest for the Best” on Jan. 26 at SM City-Cebu. Gerald Cañete said that expected to attend the affair is Senator Juan Miguel Zubirri and noted action star Ronnie Rickets, who are both eskrima disciples.
Kelii Sipin of the Milwaukee-based Four Winds Martial Arts USA, on the other hand, said their qualifying event, the US Nationals, is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Walnut Mt. in San Antonio College. The top performers will don the United States colors in the prestigious Wekaf tilt. (PR)
