Visayas State University (VSU) Team Pythons gained supremacy in the recently concluded Arnis Exhibition Games Men and Women Category on April 24 at VSU Gymnasium during the VSU Goodwill Games 2023.
A total of five (5) registered teams, namely: VSU Pythons, VSU Cobras (VSU men’s team), VSU- Tolosa Campus, VSU- Isabel Campus, and Santo Niño College (SNC) of Ormoc City in both men and women category have showcased their skills and mastery in the said combat sports, while VSU Pythons, Cobras, VSU- Tolosa, and SNC juggled for the first places in the different weight divisions.
For the men’s event, Cornelo Asmolo (VSU Pythons) landed in first place in the pin weight division, and Jose Jovy Diaz and Creslie Alkuino, also from the Pythons, boarded in first place in bantamweight and featherweight men. Kherwin Galagaran and Ezra Lagarto notched the Half-Light Weight and Open Weight first places for Pythons. SNC’s Jasper Ryan Chumacera and Christian Formenlara both claimed the first places in the extra-lightweight and lightweight men’s divisions, while Michael Canalita (SNC) booked the first place in half-middleweight men, and Beneboy Silvano of the same uniform clinched the heavyweight division by default. VSU-Tolosa, one of VSU’s satellite campuses, also brought home first place in middleweight men by default.
VSU’s Lady Pythons conquered the women’s event, garnering six (6) first places, capped by Anthea Autida’s harmonious 8-0 win to seal first place in Half-Light Weight Women. Elyn Rodriquez concluded in first place in featherweight. Rita Aspilla, Llosa Ingrid Gurrea, Alexza Rich Tubo, and Dianna Samorin secured first places by default in the bantamweight, open weight, light-heavyweight, and half-middleweight divisions. Meanwhile, April May Sacay of SNC aced first place in Extra-Light Weight, and Angelique Villamor and Azenith Villegas (SNC) are automatic champions by default in the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. Glaiza Gabradila of VSU-Tolosa pulls off first place in lightweight women.
Coach Emil Cuevas, the hired officiating official from Ormoc City, stood as the referee of all the exhibition bouts. He and Dr. Charis Limbo-Rivera, Director of the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK) at VSU, highlighted in a beaming fashion that even though the matches held are considered exhibition games only, they also serve as one of the selection processes for qualifying for the Arnis team, especially in VSU’s varsity team. Moreover, all registered teams were honored and awarded with trophies for their active participation in the Goodwill Games 2023, in line with the VSU’s anniversary celebration.