MANILA, Philippines—Members of the Philippines national wushu team who will compete in the 30th Southeast Asian Games want to be training at their competition venue to be acquainted with the environment.

Wushu will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center from Dec. 1 to 3.

Two-time SEA Games gold medalist Daniel Parantac said familiarity with the venue could spell the difference in their bid to deliver gold.

"If we can train in the actual venue at least two weeks before the competition, it will be good for us," 2-time SEA Games gold medalist Daniel Parantace said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

"Actually, the earlier, the better."

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Parantac, who won gold medals in taolu during the 2013 and 2015 SEA Games then finished fourth in 2017, added that as host, Filipino wushu officials and athletes must make the most out of the so-called home-field advantage.

"If we train in the venue two or three days before the competition, that’s not enough. We need to get used to the surface. Meron kasi surface na madulas and meron din makapit," he said.

Parantac was was joined by fellow wushu athlete Agatha Wong, the reigning SEA Games champion in taolu.

The Philippines will field 12 athletes in wushu, which offers 16 gold medals in sanda and taolu events. To gear up for the competition, they underwent four months of training in China.

Besides Parantace and Won, other wushu members are (sanda) Jessie Aligaga, Carlos Baylon Jr., Jenifer Kilapio, Arnel Mandal, Francisco Solis, Clemente Tabugara Jr., and Divine Wally; (taolu) Johnzenth Gajo, Jones Inso and Thornton Sayan.

Wong said the China training will serve the team well.

"China has the resources that no one else does. We improved a lot during our training there," she said.

"When we compete, we always give our best. We always assure ourselves of that. In this SEA Games, we will give our best."

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