Cebu hosts World Eskrima championship

CEBU, Philippines – At least 700 eskrimadors from 29 countries all over the world will slug it out for top honors in the 12th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) Championship and Congress slated July 18-24 at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

“There are so many significant events that will be happening in the week-long gathering of the top eskrimadors all over the world,” said WEKAF chairman emeritus and supreme grandmaster Dionnie Cañete.

A head of state and a foreign dignitary will grace the biennial event for the first time in its 23-year history.

“Honorable Didier Robert, the president of Reunion Island in France, will be coming over to grace the weeklong activity. It’s the first time in WEKAF history that a head of state will be our guest of honor,” said Cañete.

“We did not expect that he will accept the invitation. It turned out that he’s very much interested in the Filipino martial arts.”

“We are now coordinating with the office of Gov. Gwen Garcia because we must accord Robert and his entourage all the diplomatic courtesy due him as a foreign dignitary.”

In another first for the WEKAF family, Cañete said they will enshrine eight grandmasters from the US and 12 from the Philippines into the newly-built Eskrima Temple.