Cordillera arm wrestlers slam 10 medals in China!

SPORTS

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Four arm wrestlers from the Cordillera powered the Philippine medal haul at the East vs. West 2026 King of the Table in Jiaxing, China, bringing home a combined 10 medals from the international competition held September 11–12.

Leading the Cordilleran medal charge was Israel Ekid, who captured three silver medals in the 70kg Men’s Pro category.

Dyrk Kanongkong added a silver and a bronze in the Youth Open category, while Mhart Dumpit secured two silver medals in the Juniors 77kg division.

Completing the medal haul was Jeverlyn Costino Dugcio, who won two bronze medals in the 70kg category.

The four athletes competed as part of Team Philippines, facing arm wrestlers from different countries at the event held at the Dragon Dream Hotel in Jiaxing.

Dumpit said his podium finishes were the result of months of demanding preparation for the international competition.

In a Facebook post, he thanked God for the opportunity, safe travels and strength throughout the competition, saying his long and difficult training had paid off after finishing first runner-up in both arms in the Juniors Under-18, 77kg-plus category.

“After a long, exhausting, and difficult months of training for the event, I managed to achieve first runner-up on both arms in the juniors category,” Dumpit said.

He also expressed gratitude to his coaches, teammates, sponsors, family, friends and supporters who helped him prepare for the competition.

Dumpit specifically thanked coaches Abraham Jr. Kerchaten, John Marc and Junjun Fianza, as well as the delegates of the Igorot Arm Wrestlers who represented Team Philippines.

The 10-medal performance further highlights the growing presence of Cordilleran and Filipino arm wrestlers on the international stage as they compete against athletes from various countries and weight divisions.