The Vietnamese arnis team training for the SEA Games 32. — Photo courtesy of toquoc.vn

SEA Games 

HÀ NỘI — As the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games approach, the Vietnamese arnis team is preparing themselves for the upcoming competition with the lofty aim of clinching three gold medals.

The traditional Filipino martial arts team, consisting of 23 members, is set to compete in a total of 12 events, which includes eight combat events and four performance-based competitions.

In order to accomplish their ambitious goal, the team has been training tirelessly, dedicating themselves to four intense training sessions a day.

"Because the regional event is coming near, the training board and athletes are determined to increase the intensity of training to reach our goal," said coach Nguyễn Thái Linh.

Vietnamese martial artists also competed in this sport in the 30th Games in the Philippines. However, until the 31st Games, this sport was not organised.

The 32nd SEA Games, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the northwestern Cambodian City of Siem Reap from May 5-16, will be the first time the event has featured at the games outside of the Philippines.

Many of the Vietnamese athletes participating in this sport come from other sports, not those who specialise in this one.

Arnis has its own characteristics, so the process of selecting and converting athletes from other martial arts is not always easy.

"Although it is a new sport, since the Games 2019 in the Philippines, we also had a number of athletes compete in this sport and achieved achievements in the combat categories," Linh added. "But this time, we met difficulties as some athletes have retired. The hosts have also placed limitations on the weight classes.”

The Vietnamese team will be supported by experts from the Philippines to improve their skills.

Efforts

Đào Thị Hồng Nhung, who won gold in the Games in the Philippines in 2019, will feature again. However, gaining gold will be not easy for the champion.

"I am a pencak silat athlete," Nhung said. "When I compete in arnis, I have to use a stick and only use one hand, so everything has to start from the beginning.”

“The whole team have been training new techniques. The biggest difficulty for us is technical issues."

The subtle differences compared to other martial arts mean athletes must adjust their fighting style. 

Công Quốc, a Muay Thai athlete, is one of those trying to make the change. 

"Compared to Muay Thai, in arnis fighters use a stick, wear shoes and have a different way of moving, so it's a bit surprising," Quốc said. "But as athletes, we already have good fitness and expertise, we just need to add more techniques." VNS