By CALVIN CORDOVA
CEBU CITY– Over 200 stick-fighters battle for supremacy in the 2nd Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos Handuraw Invitational Arnis Tournament, which got underway on Sunday, Dec. 29, at the Cultural and Sports Center of Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte.
Cementing Dapitan’s status as a rising hub for the country’s national sport, this year’s tournament attracted 220 participants, nearly doubling last year’s turnout of 128.
“With every strike, every block, and every move, we honor the traditions of Arnis, the spirit of camaraderie, and the indomitable pride of Dapitan,” the city’s Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agolong said during the opening ceremony that was graced by Dapitan Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos, and City Administrator Atty. Amalou Tumapon-Monroyo.
Participated by various arnis clubs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Agolong said the tournament has become one of the most-anticipated arnis competition since it started in 2022.
Agolong added that tournament started as an Anyo competition.
Led by playing coach Cris Saldon Hamoy, the Dapitan arnis team had its baptism of fire when it competed in last March’s Zubiri Cup Kali Eskrima Arnis Tournament in Davao where it collected 10 gold medals, two silvers, and five bronzes.
One of the noted participants in the 2023 edition of the tournament was Italian world champion arnisador Andrea Rollon, who sparred with Jalosjos, an arnis grandmaster.
