A Tournament With a Regional Reach
GENERAL SANTOS- The 12th Carambunal sa GenSan Invitational Arnis Kali Eskrima Tournament took place in General Santos City on February 1, 2026, according to a February 19, 2026 post from the City of Tacurong Youth and Sports Development Program. The wording of the event name identifies it as an invitational competition, placing the tournament within a broader regional sporting setting rather than a city-only meet. This year's competition also continued a series that has appeared in previous years, including the 11th Carambunal sa Gensan Arnis Tournament held in 2025. The 2025 tournament materials described Carambunal as an event intended to develop Arnis skills and provide athletes and coaches with an opportunity for friendly competition.
Tacurong Teams Leave With a Large Medal Count
One of the clearest 2026 results comes from Tacurong's delegation, which reported 23 gold medals from the competition. The Arnis Fusion Squad accounted for 15 gold, six silver and three bronze medals in the Padded Stick/Point System category, while the Filipino Art Modified Arnis Federation team recorded eight gold, four silver and one bronze. The report also identified several athletes who won gold in both Padded and 3x3 Livestick categories. These results offer a concrete picture of the level of competition without requiring broader claims about the entire tournament's medal standings.
Carambunal's Place in Gensan's Arnis Scene
Carambunal is not a new name in the regional Arnis calendar, with earlier editions documented in competition materials and sports coverage. A 2025 tournament document identified the Gensan Arnis Martial Arts Association (GAMA) as the organizer of the 11th Carambunal sa Gensan and described the competition as focused on Labanan and team live-stick events. The 2026 Tacurong report, meanwhile, refers specifically to the event as an Arnis Kali Eskrima Tournament, showing how the competition continues to bring different practitioners together in General Santos. For sports readers, the more interesting story is therefore not simply who collected medals, but how recurring tournaments such as Carambunal give Filipino martial arts athletes another competitive stage in Mindanao.
