Five thousand students join this mammoth arnis class, which organizers hope will be acknowledged as the largest arnis class in the world at the Cebu City Sports Center field yesterday. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
AROUND 5,000 Cebuano arnisadors showed up at the Cebu City Sports Center to set the largest arnis class record in the world in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The record-setting attempt was conceptualized by Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman Edward Hayco and Cebu City arnis head coach Jude Gelig.
Gelig said students from the Cebu Normal University (CNU), Abellana National School, Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School (RDMNHS), City Central Elementary School, Inayawan Night High School, Mandaue City barangays and public schools, Arnis Team Cebu City and PWD Arnisadors took part in the historic feat, which was one of the highlights during the closing ceremonies of the 2015 Batang Pinoy National Finals.
“Our main goal for this is to let the world know that the Philippines has an authentic martial arts called arnis and also let them know that this martial art originates here in Cebu,” Hayco said.
According to Hayco, they will document the event and send it to the Guinness Book of World Records office in the United Kingdom to make it official.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was present during the event.
“They showed pride and oneness. They reminded us Filipinos as well as Cebuanos that greatness can’t be achieved by one but together,” Rama said.
Under Hayco’s helm in the CCSC, Cebu City was able to set several sports records in the Guinness Book such as the “World’s Largest Dance Class” in 2009, the “World’s Largest Chess Tournament” in 2012, and the “Largest Archery Class” in 2014.