KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- After nailing the gold medal in the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), Dines Dumaan hopes that Philippine Silat Sports Association will continue receiving enough financial support from the government.
Dumaan delivered the lone mint from pencak silat on top of four bronze medals that ended more than a decade of drought in the SEA Games.
“Sana po gaya dito sa SEA Games, matulungan ulit ng sapat ng PSC ang NSA (national sports association) namin para sa preparation sa next competitions,” said the 22-year-old Dumaan, who sacrificed his BS Marine Transportation studies to prepare for his first SEA Games stint.
The Panitan, Capiz native Dumaan is now a third-year college student at the Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion in Roxas City.
Even as a rookie, he bested his more veteran foes en route to winning the gold medal in the men’s tanding (fighting) Class A 45-50-kg. by beating highly favored Firman of Indonesia, 4-1, in the finals at the Juara Stadium-Bukit Kiara Sports Complex on Tuesday, August 29.
He followed the footstep of Earl Buenviaje, who won the last gold medal in the 2005 Philippine SEA Games in men’s tanding Class F 70-75kg.
Dumaan started in taekwondo before shifting to pencak silat where he also garnered a bronze medal in the 5th Asian Beach Games 2016 last October in Vietnam and a fourth place in the 17th Pencak Silat World Championships 2016 last December in Indonesia.
Others who won bronzes were Princesslyn Enopia in the women’s class C 45-50kg, Rickrod Ortega in class I 85-90kg and Jefferson Rhey Loob in the class D 60-65.
As part of their preparation for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, the PhilSilat team will see action in the pre-Asiad Pencak Sila Tournament this coming February. (PR)