PHILIPPINES Muay Thai Association (MAP) Team Bagsik head coach Billy Alumno together with six Cordillerans hoisted the country’s flag after bagging medals in the East Asian Muay Thai Championships recently.
Alumno took home the best coach among international competitors from Taipei, Sri Lanka, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Macau, and Japan in the tournament held in Wan Chai, Hong Kong on August 15 to 18.
Alumno, a former national athlete himself since 1999, began his coaching career in 2004.
Team Bagsik improved their record form last year’s staging winning three golds, five silvers, and two bronze, aside from the best coach award Jenelyn Olsim and Ariel Lee Lamapacan led the Cordilleran’s attack reaping gold in their respective weight category.
Olsim’s older brother Jerry, lost to S.G. Rishitha Rumesh of Sri Lanka in the finals of the 67kg category and settled for silver.
“Jerry should have won the fight, if he bagged gold in his last bout, the Philippines might have won best team instead of Hong Kong,” Alumno told SunStar Baguio.
Three high school students also reaped medals in the international event.
Eighteen-year-old Hansel Bilog from Tabuk City, Kalinga won silver in the 60kg men’s division while Islay Erika Bomogao, 18, from Kapangan, Benguet also reaped silver in the women’s 45kg category.
The youngest of Team Bagsik, Liane Benito settled for bronze in the women’s 51kg category.
“Promising athletes sila. Malaki ang chance for improvement. Part of exposure nila itong competition,” added Alumno.
Other medalists from the Philippines Team Bagsik are Colleen Saddi who dominated in the 48kg category, silver medalists Philip Delarmino (57kgcategory), Ryan Jakiri (63.5kg category) and bronze medalist Sid Anthony Capuchino (51kg category).
Team Bagsik will head to South Korea at the end of August to compete in the Chungju World Martial Arts Mastership to fight for the qualifying rounds in the biennial South East Asian Games hosted by the Philippines starting November 30.
“SEA games is our main concentration,” underlined Alumno, who said competitions they have joined are part of their preparation for upcoming Southeast Asian Games.