The Philippine Dancesport Team along with their trainers pose for a group photo during their send-off ceremony on Sunday at the Beverly View Events Pavilion. | Photo by Glendale G. Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine dancesport team considers the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games a special competition to break free from all the challenges they have been through due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the send-off ceremony on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at the Beverly View Events Pavilion, the four pairs of the Philippine team that won 10 gold medals in the 2019 SEA Games held here in the country vowed to sweep the competition, which stakes 12 gold medals on May 15 to 16 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The four pairs comprised of Cebu’s Wilbert Aunzo and Perl Marie Caneda, Michael Angelou Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo, Mark Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen, and Sean Aranar and Ana Nualla.
They are here in Cebu to spend the rest of the days leading to SEA Games, training under the tutelage of renowned world dancesport world champion Alina Nowak and Edgar Marcos Borjas.
Their training camp is being hosted by Edward Hayco, former Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman and the “Father of Cebu’s Dancesport”.
Their training camp also coincides with the inaugural Philippine Dancesport Training Camp Cebu 2022 at the Beverly View Events Pavilion in Cebu City.
The three-day training camp drew students, teachers, coaches, and sports coordinators from around the country to learn the best dancesport lessons from the country’s top brass in the sport.
Philippine dancesport team’s struggles
During the send-off ceremony on Sunday, the Philippine team members shared their struggles and anxiety during the height of the lockdown that started in March 2020.
They all shared the same sentiments that they had a difficult time during the pandemic. Among them who was emotional to share her struggles was Nualla, who won three gilts in the 2019 SEA Games with her partner Aranar.
“During the whole pandemic, it was a good break for us, before the lockdown, sobrang busy talaga namin. We were all over the world, we competed here and there almost every week. The first announcement of the lockdown was two months, and the first two weeks we slept long hours for the first time,” she said.
(During the whole pandemic, it was a good break for us, before the lockdown, we were really very busy. We were all over the world, we competed here and there almost every week. The first announcement of the lockdown was two months, and the first two weeks we slept long hours for the first time.)
“Pero may withdrawal syndrome na hinahanap na ang katawan namin para sumayaw. Nagiging uneasy na para sa amin at tumataba na kami. Grabe talaga yung struggle namin during that period. Di namin alam kailan babalik lahat sa normal,” said Nualla who was holding back her tears while sharing her struggles during the lockdowns.
(But there was a withdrawal syndrome that our bodies were seeking for us to dance. We were uneasy and we began to put on weight. During that period we really struggled. We did not know when things would go back to normal.)
“But now, thank God, almost back to normal, especially dito sa Cebu. Ang panlaban namin, kaming lahat is Puso. Di namin to ginagawa dahil sinabi lang sa amin, ginagawa namin to kasi para sa bayan,” she said.
(But now, thank God, [we’re] almost back to normal, especially here in Cebu. Our weapon in the competition will be our heart. We are not doing this because we were told to do it, we are doing this for the country.)
Gained weight
On the other hand, Aunzo, for his part, said that he gained a lot of weight during the lockdowns due to inactivity and it was his biggest struggle, but he persevered and trained hard with Caneda.
The pair also finished with three gold medals.
Meanwhile, Gayon and Renigen shared their difficulties as well. They revealed that they travelled for more than two hours from Cavite to Metro Manila every day, rain or shine, just to continue training despite the uncertainty and postponement of the SEA Games.
Marquez and Sabalo considered themselves fortunate for having to compete in an international dancesport tournament in Italy earlier this month, which boosted their confidence leading to the SEA Games.
The pairs of Gayon and Renigen, and Marquez and Sabalo both bagged double gold medals in their 2019 SEA Games stints.
“It’s our responsibility to give honor to the Philippines; that’s our motivation. We’re in the middle of the pandemic; our federation couldn’t make a selection for the SEA Games. So, kami pa rin yung magrerepresent for the country in the SEA Games,” said Sabalo.
Eyeing sweep
Philippine team trainer Ronnie Vergara, also from Dancesport Team Cebu City, is very confident that they will sweep the 12 gold medals at stake in Vietnam.
“This year, bisan ang pandemic lisud-lisud jud, pero we find time nga makatraining. We are very, very ready. Ang training namo, we are very prepared, especially we have foreign coaches who helped us improve our dance. We’re very ready for the SEA Games,” said Vergara.
(This year even if it is the pandemic, it is really a challenge, but we always find time to train. We are very, very ready. Our training, we are very prepared, especially that we have foreign coaches, who helped us to improve our dance.)
The presence of Nowak and Borjas, who are both multiple-time world champions, is a huge boost for the Philippine team.
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