Women's martial arts takes center stage at Rizal Memorial

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission will hold the 8th Women’s Martial Arts Festival from November 12-17 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex with hopes of producing more world champion female fighters like karateka Junna Tsukii and jiu-jitsu’s Maggie Ochoa and Kimberly Anne Custodio.

“Our objective is to increase participation of women athletes,” said PSC commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, herself a legendary world-beater during her heydays in bowling, in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the PSC’s Malate, Manila building.

The six-day event will have nine disciplines — pencak silat, wrestling, sambo, taekwondo, muay thai, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and kurash — plus two demonstration disciplines arnis and judo.

Filipina athletes have been at the forefront of the country’s campaign abroad and have produced spectacular results like weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo delivering the country its breakthrough Olympic gold medal in last year’s Tokyo Games.

And just this year, Tsukii claimed the World Games mint and Ochoa and Custodio emerged world jiu-jitsu champions.

“We can all see in the past and most of those who won were women. And we want to produce more women’s champion athletes and us in the PSC are here to support,” said Coo.