CEBU CITY – South Korea's Jung Hoon and Lee Yee-un delivered an awe-inspiring performance in the Standard Adult category to retain the title in the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Cebu Open 2024 on Sunday night.
Showing their mastery in Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot and Quickstep, the Koreans impressed the judges and captivated the crowd at the ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug.
"We expected to win because we came prepared for this tournament," said the 25-year-old Lee, a senior high school teacher like Jung, 29.
"We practice four hours every day, morning and evening, in the afternoon, we teach," she added.
Lee and Jung began dancing together in 2022, winning the King's Cup in Thailand.
Filipinos Sean Aranar and Ana Nualla, triple-gold winners at the Vietnam SEA Games, settled for second place followed by Chinese pair Sun Yulong and Li Jinming.
The Koreans also dominated the Latin category, with Hwang Yousung and Jung Eun-ji showing their brilliant skills in Samba, Chacha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive.
SEAG medalists Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda, both prides of Cebu City, settled for second place while Jefferson Pimentel and Mary Desiree Seraga finished third.
"What a super successful event, well-organized, very good working team. Congratulations Cebu team, PSC Commissioner Ed Hayco and wife Eleonor, and (project director and tournament manager) Loloi Rendon," Philippine DanceSport Federation, Inc. (PDSF) president Becky Garcia said.
Hayco, founder of the Dancesport Team Cebu City (DTCC) and known as the "Father of Cebu Dancesport,” said the WDSF Cebu Open is part of the country's grassroot program.
"The primary purpose of this event is to inspire the youth, especially the juvenile (12 years old and below), to aim higher and to learn from the best in the world," he said.
The Dance Academy of Cebu (DAC) inside the Cebu City Sports Center (formerly Abellana Sports Complex) has more than 1,000 scholars training under Rendon, a member of the PDSF Board.
"We want to give them hope since all of them are underprivileged. Dancesport as a transformational, experiential tool and an educational tool also. So, with that in line and that in purpose, everything we do here is with that mindset," said Hayco, who established the DAC in 1998.
The WDSF Cebu Open, held alongside the PDSF 3rd Quarter National Championships, is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PAGCOR and the Cebu City government. (PNA)
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