DAVAO City's multi-athlete Sydney Tancontian will rely on her judo expertise in her first-ever Southeast Asian (SEA) Senior Wrestling Championships 2015 stint at the Jurong Outdoor Futsal Centre in Singapore on June 10 to 14.
Tancontian, in an interview with Sun.Star Davao, said, "I think magagamit ko ang judo dahil hindi naman po pwedeng magdepend lang sa coach all the time. Kailangan ko din gamitin ang experience ko sa judo."
The 15-year-old Davao Central High School student believes that her judo skills could be integrated in wrestling, as she is already well-versed in throwing and pinning techniques. The additions in her wrestling repertoire are the double leg takedowns and shoots.
"I could use arm throws and hip throws and while on the ground, I already have pinning techniques in judo. The rules of wrestling are almost similar with judo but the pinning time in wrestling is much shorter," Tancontian said.
But she was quick to add that she had undergone an intensive training under coaches of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) as she spent over a month in Manila in preparation for the competition.
"My training there was three-times a day. During my training, the routine was I jog and do mat training in the morning while in the afternoon, I lift weights and have more conditioning training," Tancontian said.
She added that she'll be riding on the momentum of her wins from recent competitions, including her back-to-back gold medal performances in the an Asian Jiu Jitsu Gi and No Gi and Kids International Open at the SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City and in the 8th International School of Manila Judo Championships at the International School of Manila in Taguig City.
But she admitted that she's beginning to feel the pressure of the event although she is poised to bring honor to the country, her family, her school and her city.