Magpusao Sisters Secure Bronze Finish in National Kendo Tourney

NSKC kendokas bagged 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze medals

“All their hard work paid off.”

These were the words of Hanah L. Magpusao to her young Bronze medalists Jackie Louise & Juneseth Magpusao from Bacolod City representing Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club (NSKC) after finishing 2nd runner-up in the Tween’s Individual Event of the 6th Philippine National Kendo Tournament at the University of Southeastern Philippines Gymnasium, Davao City which ended on Sunday, October 27.

Looking back on the Magpusao sisters’ journey to the nationals, they joined the 3rd Negros Kendo Tournament at the Shiseikan Dojo in Bago City last month. And Gasshuku & Midyear Tournament in Cebu City on July 2024, where 12-year-old Jackie Louise won Silver medal in the 3-women team category. According to their mother Hanah, young Jackie started kendo this January and dragged her older sister Juneseth to the Kendo Demonstration hosted by NSKC on April 2024.

Meanwhile, their teammates Lyndi Mendoza and Robert Carabuena, Jr. were champions in the Women’s & Men’s individual categories, while Rita Alexis Cuadra settled for 2nd runner-up in the Women’s individual; at the same time, the NSKC contingent dominated the Women’s team event with a 1-2 finish by Shiseikan B (gold) composed of Mao Akuto, Mary Liberty Amido, Diane Virgula & Suzzane Jean Yu, and Shiseikan A (silver) composed of Rio Akuto, Suzuki Chisato, Rita Cuadra & Lyn Mendoza. The Bago-based kendo club received Fighting Spirit Award coming from Howard Mercado in the Teen’s Individual Category and Yuri Haderly in the Men’s Team Event.

Here are the complete winners of the 6th Philippine National Kendo Tournament:
𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Arnushka Eve Breana Dula (Davao Kendo Club)
1st Runner Up: Megumi Haraguchi (Davao Kendo Club)
2nd Runner Up: Desiree Caitlyn Rabaya (Davao Kendo Club) & Dan Cho (Tiger Kendo Club)
Fighting Spirit: Canaan Famatiga (IGA Kendo Club) & Athena Dawn Allura Dula (Davao Kendo Club)
𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Genesis Famatiga (IGA Kendo Club)
1st Runner Up: Mark Dominic Don Nacario (Davao Kendo Club)
2nd Runner Up: Jackie Louise Magpusao (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club) & Juneseth Magpusao (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
Fighting Spirit: Drewl Chrisael Rabaya (Davao Kendo Club) & Chartreuse Tatianna Domingo (Davao Kendo Club)
𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Riki Fukushima (IGA Kendo Club)
1st Runner Up: Sebastian Jeane Bangoy (Davao Kendo Club)
2nd Runner Up: Juancho Gabriel Macalla (Davao Kendo Club) & Jasmine Niere (Davao Kendo Club)
Fighting Spirit: Howard Mercado (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club) & Awit Pulido (Davao Kendo Club)
𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Lyndi Mendoza (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
1st Runner Up: Reida-Jade Renovilla (Davao Kenyukai)
2nd: Jasmine Niere (Davao Kendo Club) & Rita Alexis Cuadra (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
Fighting Spirit: Marie Emily Joy Buaya-Agor (Davao Kenyukai) & Norren Limboy (Davao Kendo Club)
𝗠𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Robert Carabuena, Jr. (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
1st Runner Up: Paul Vincent Miñoza (Cebu Kendo Club)
2nd Runner Up: Steven Paul Cañete (Cebu Kendo Club) & Ronald Villaroya (Metro Kendo Club)
Fighting Spirit: Ralph Chester Lee (Metro Kendo Club) & Andre Marie Brillantes (Metro Kendo Club)
𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Shiseikan B (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
Mao Akuto, Mary Liberty Amido, Diane Virgula, Suzzane Jean Yu
1st Runner Up: Shiseikan A (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club)
Rio Akuto, Suzuki Chisato, Rita Alexis Cuadra, Lyndi Mendoza
2nd Runner Up: IGA Kendo Club
Fides Desacada-Tatlonghari, Thi Thanh Diem Le, Aimi Sabri
Kenyukai C (Davao Kenyukai)
Marie Emily Joy Buaya-Agor, Honeybelle Gaitano, Reida-Jade Renovilla
Fighting Spirit: Jasmine Niere (Davao Kendo Club) & Reida-Jade Renovilla (Davao Kenyukai)
𝗠𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁
Champion: Kenyukai A (Davao Kenyukai)
Sanjay Parami, Ron Andrae Agor, Isami Inoue, Haruta Kurashima, Shingaki Keitai
1st Runner Up: Kenyukai B (Davao Kenyukai)
Jan-Raphael Chua, Charles Sitjar, Aaron Penaco, Yuichiro Sako, Kaito Kitada,
2nd Runner Up: DKC-M1 (Davao Kendo Club)
Jozef Symon Candido, Al June Metilla, Riku Miyazaki, Yosuke Sunada, Taiki Tsunematsu
Metro Men’s Team 4 (Metro Kendo Club)
Shigeyuki Fukunaga, Shohei Goda, Yuta Inoue, Mikhael Lozano, Akinori Wada
Fighting Spirit: Yuri Haderly (Negros Shiseikan Kendo Club) & Ron Andrae Agor (Davao Kenyukai)
Special Award: Michael Logarta (Cebu Kendo Club) & Paul Vincent Miñoza (Cebu Kendo Club)

The 2-day national event was participated by the Davao Kendo Club, Davao Kenyukai, Tiger Kendo Club, IGA Kendo Club, NSKC, Cebu Kendo Club, and Metro Kendo Club.* (James G. Toga with reports from the United Kendo Federation of the Philippines social media page)