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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Catalan shares how ONE inspired a generation of national athletes

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With mixed martial arts soaring high in the Philippines thanks to ONE Championship, Filipino strawweight Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan feels confident about the country’s chances in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

The 31-year-old Iloilo City native is confident that his compatriots will win medals for the country by the end of the tournament.

“I am confident that we will get gold medals in these games. We have good momentum for combat sports in the Philippines, especially now that we have World Champions who motivate us to achieve what they already achieved,” Catalan said. 

“Mixed martial arts have inspired athletes to develop their skills in every aspect of the game. I see them as hungry to succeed in snagging gold medals for the country.” 

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ONE strawweight contender and Robin’s older brother, Rene “The Challenger” Catalan leads the athletes from The Home Of Martial Arts who will be representing the country. He will compete in Sambo.

Team Lakay’s Gina “Conviction” Iniong and ONE Warrior Series’ Jerry “Bokodian Warrior” Olsim will also be representing the country in kickboxing, where they will team up with another Catalan, former ONE athlete Ruel Catalan. 

For “The Ilonggo,” the attention mixed martial arts has received in the past few years in the country is a major factor on why many of his compatriots are now sharpening their tools in different gyms in the country.

With the likes of current World Champions Brandon “The Truth” Vera and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, as well as former World Champions Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, and Honorio “The Rock” Banario, athletes are now dreaming big and looking to follow in their footsteps. 

“We can see how hot MMA is in the Philippines. The nice thing about it is that these athletes, especially the young ones, they’re really dedicated to getting better cause they’ve seen how much we can excel here,” Catalan said. 

“They saw that there’s a future in martial arts, that’s why they always compete hard – whether it’s in small tournaments, or big events such as the SEA Games – they’re always determined to succeed.” 

Catalan knows it will be challenging, but he believes this is the Philippines’ time to shine. 

“There’s no sure thing in sports. Nothing is easy and everyone is equipped to win but I believe this is our moment, this is our time, and this is our prime. The SEA Games will show how different we are from the rest.” 

For one last time this year ONE Championship returns to the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur for ONE: MARK OF GREATNESS this Friday, 6 December. 

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