Gerald Cañete of Pekaf along with Milo sports organizer Ricky Ballesteros, and Milo Sports executive Lester Castillo discuss the planned national online arnis tournament during their virtual. | Contributed photo/screen capture
CEBU CITY, Philippines—- Milo and the Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (Pekaf) are brewing a major online arnis tournament in the country this year.
One of the organizers, Ricky Ballesteros, who happens to be also the organizer of the Milo Little Olympics and National Milo Marathon, told CDN Digital that they were on the planning stage of the online arnis tournament.
They partnered with the arnis authority of the country, Pekaf headed by Gerald Cañete, its executive vice president.
Ballesteros, Cañete and Milo Sports Executive Lester Castillo held a virtual meeting to formalize their plan of holding the tournament last Friday, April 16, 2021.
“We have a future partnership with Pekaf and Milo, to hold virtual tournaments for 17 years under. We are still on a planning stage. Milo’s continuing support in the development of grassroots sports development program especially in time of the pandemic [is evident] by [the] holding [of] virtual competitions,” said Ballesteros.
Ballesteros said that a sparring competition would not be featured in their planned tournament due to the COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting physical or face-to-face sports activities.
Instead, they are planning to feature the anyo (form) competition.
“Since we can’t hold sparring or combat because of COVID IATF restrictions, we will hold dance form / sayaw or anyo. Pero plano. We are still finalizing but it’s going to be national. It’s still on a planning stage,” added Ballesteros.
(Since we cannot hold sparring or combat [competition] because of COVID IATF reestrictions, we will hold dance form/sayaw or anyo. But these are plans. We are still finalizing, but it’s going to be [a] national [competition]. It’s still on a planning stage.)
He is very optimistic that the large arnis community in the country will come alive with their planned national online tournament.
“I’m sure arnis eskrimadors will be excited. Hopefully, this will materialize. So, as early as now, they have to start preparing or practicing,” Ballesteros stated.
Milo, in particular, is very active since the pandemic happened in 2020 by staging numerous virtual sporting programs, particularly the “Milo Homecourt” and the “Milo Sports Interactive Online Classes”.
These programs have already helped 40,000 Filipino youths to stay active amid the COVID-19 pandemic since it kicked off last year.
/dbs
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