VIS MUAY THAI CHAMPIONSHIPS EYED

Muay Association of the Philippines (MAP) Visayas and Region 7 Head Kru Ike Xavier Villaflores is currently laying plans for a possible conduct of this year’s MAP Visayas Amateur Muay Thai Championships, which will serve as an elimination tournament for competitors from the Visayas to this year’s Nationals and National Grand Prix tournaments.

There is no tentative date yet because the schedules for the National Championships and National Grand Prix have not yet been established by the National Sport Association (NSA). MAP Visayas Chapter will be scheduling the Visayas Championships about 2 months before the Nationals.

The 2006 MAP Visayas Amateur Muay Thai Championships will be held in Dumaguete City, possibly at the Dumaguete Muay Thai Association Training Gym, 90-A Dr. E. Miciano Rd. or at the Macias Sports Complex.

The MAP Nationals is an interregional competition organized by the Muay Association of the Philippines without the participation of the Philippine National Muay Thai Team. Competitors who gets a gold, silver, or bronze in the nationals is then qualified to compete in the National Grand Prix, a national tournament for the best of the best including the Philippine National Muay Thai Team. Both the Nationals and National Grand Prix are usually held at the PSC-Philsports Complex, Meralco Ave., Pasig City.

Last year’s MAP Visayas Amateur Muay Thai Championships was held on April 28-29 in Larena, Siquijor with the help of the Larena LGU. The Dumaguete Muay Association took a 1-2-5 medal harvest. Medalists were Romnick Pabalate (45-48 kg.), gold; Francis Lyle Flores and Fortunato Sechico (51-54 kg. and 45-48 kg.), silver; and Roland Alpas (54-57kg.), Gregorio Lumbo Jr. (60-63.5 kg.), James Clark Rocaberte (57-60 kg.), Randy Tabares (48-51 kg.), and Efren Tugdang (51-54 kg.), bronze.