Rusiana, Ibale fighters top forms competition

CEBU, Philippines - Gerardo Rusiana of Team Banilad and eskrimadors from Ibale Center stole the limelight in the 'sayaw' or forms event of the 4th Doce Pares World Championships the other day at The Events Center of SM City-Cebu.

Rusiana lorded it over in the men's open category over Jomar Opigal of Brgy. San Jose Kauswagan Self Defense Brotherhood (KSDB) and Rossini Solatorio of the United States-based PIMA Academy.

Ibale Center, on the other hand, saw nine of its bets topping their respective divisions in Kim Quirabo, Cyramae Enero, Mary Louise Regala, Kervy Peresores, Juelo Senillo, Jenelyn Espiritu, Krizel Angana, Cathereen Cuarez and Mhyl Francis Enero.

Quirabo showed admirable poise and grace in dominating the junior boys double stick traditional, Enero came out the best in the junior girls open, while Regala got the jugdes' nod in the junior girls non-traditional. They all had uniform scores of 9.5 points.

Peresores and Senillo were adjudged as co-champions in the junior boys single stick traditional with identical 9.3 points in the same way with Espiritu and Angana in the children girls open with 9.3 points apiece, while Cuarez ruled the junior girls traditional with 9.0 points.

Mhyl Francis Enero contributed gold in the children 10-below open class. Ibale Center capped its bountiful harvest by ruling the group form open class in a tie with KSDB with 9.16 points each, while Banilad Academ copped the third place honors with 9.13 points.

In the women's single stick non-traditional, Jelian Ceniza of Brgy. San Jose KSDB-HQ was unopposed, while Team Malubog won the group form classis after edging out CMACI and KSDB.

Cesario Perez bested Jessie Alivio to rule the men's single stick non-traditional, Frank Joseph Borces of KSDB outlasted Kevin Enguito of CMACI to snare the junior boys open title, while Clepon Cristian Bucay of Banilad and his teammate Kyle Clifford Apa-ap snatched the top spot in the children boys open.         

Nancy Walzog of PIMA-USA became the lone foreign competitor to take home a champion's trophy after she reigned supreme in the women's single strick traditional. She posted 9.0 points to fend off Precues Glye (8.7 pts.) of San Fernando Arnis Club and Vena Velayo (8.3 pts.) of Brgy. San Jose KSDB-HQ.

In the junior single stick non-traditional, Rex Roger Alivio of CMACI clinched the top honors after outclassing John Dakay of Ibale Center and Elmo Malazarte of Brgy. San Jose KSDB-HQ.

Meanwhile, the action-packed sparring competition was still being contested of this writing yesterday at the SM City-Cebu Trade Hall featuring over a hundred stick-fighters from at least a dozen nations around the globe. (FREEMAN)