JAKARTA -- The entire national wushu team has decided to skip the 18th Asian Games opening ceremony here on Saturday so it could focus on the competitions at the Jakarta International Expo, according to national sanda (sparring) head coach Jessie Aligaga.
"The athletes are tired. They have weigh-in and training tomorrow so they won't be able to join the opening ceremonies," said Aligaga of his charges, who arrived here together with him close to midnight on Friday with some members of the fencing and softball teams.
Among those affected are 2014 Incheon Asian Games silver medalist Daniel Parantac and Agatha Krystenzen Wong, who bagged a gold and silver medal in taolu (forms) at the 2017 Malaysia Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur last year.
A SEA Games gold medalist in the 2013 edition held in Myanmar, Aligaga cited the case of Jean Claude Saclag, an Incheon 2004 Asiad silver medalist, who went down to 48 kilos from his former 52-kilogram class so he could see action here.
Making her Asian Games debut is Wong, 21, a 2016 world junior champion in taolu, who said that she did not regret not being part of the inaugural ceremonies, saying: "As long I can do my very best here and make my country proud I will be content."
The wushu exponents are aiming to surpass their previous haul of two silvers and one bronze medal in the Incheon edition four years ago.