GOGOJILI Sultada Meaning: How Two Roosters Are Paired for a Fight

A sultada is the pairing of two roosters for one fight.

In this section
FactValue
GOGOJILI Kristo MeaningThe kristo is the caller in a licensed cockpit who relays bets between bettors using hand signals and calls.
GOGOJILI SentensyadorThe sentensyador is the official in a licensed cockpit who declares the result of a sabong fight: a win for one rooster, a loss, or a draw.
GOGOJILI Tari SabongThe tari is the blade fitted to a fighting rooster's leg in a cockpit.

A sultada now happens only in a licensed cockpit, because online e-sabong has stood suspended nationwide from 2022. President Duterte halted it with a spoken order, broadcast on tape, on 3 May 2022. The formal ban came on 28 December 2022 as Executive Order No. 9, signed by President Marcos.

Physical cockfighting continues in licensed cockpits. The sultada meaning below belongs to that physical world, and the wider picture sits on the sabong ph rules and history.

Sultada meaning: one pairing, two roosters

A sultada is the pairing of two roosters for a single fight. The word names the match itself, made before either bird enters the ring. Every fight you watch in a cockpit begins as a sultada that two handlers have agreed.

Part of a sultadaWhat it is
The pairTwo roosters matched against each other
The basisWeight and condition of each bird
The agreementBoth handlers accept the match
The outcomeA verdict from the sentensyador

How a sultada is set up in a cockpit

The setup follows a fixed order in a licensed sabungan. Here is what happens from the first bird to the ring.

  1. Weigh in. Each rooster is weighed, so birds of a similar weight can be compared.
  2. Match. Handlers look for a partner bird of similar weight and build.
  3. Agree. Both handlers accept the pairing, which makes it a sultada.
  4. Blades. A blade, the tari piece, is fitted to each bird.
  5. Release. The roosters are set into the ring and the fight begins.

Because the pairing comes first, everything else in the pit waits for it: the bets, the blades and the verdict all attach to a sultada.

Sultada compared with the other pit terms

A sultada is easy to confuse with the words around it. This table separates them.

TermJobWhen it comes
SultadaPairs the two roostersBefore the fight
TariBlade on the legJust before release
KristoRelays bets in the pitWhile the birds are held
SentensyadorDeclares the resultAfter the fight

The sentensyador’s final call closes what the sultada opens, and the kristo page shows how bets are recorded in between.

Where a sultada fits in a derby

A derby is a tournament in which owners enter several roosters. Each fight in the programme is still a sultada, one pairing at a time. The table shows how the two formats differ.

Single fightDerby
PairingsOne sultadaMany sultada, one after another
Roosters per ownerOne in that fightSeveral across the programme
Blades and verdictOne tari, one callA tari and a call for every fight

So a derby with many entries is a long list of separate pairings, each with its own handlers, its own blades and its own verdict.

FAQ

What does sultada mean in sabong?

A sultada is the pairing of two roosters for a single fight. The match is made before the birds are released into the ring.

Is a sultada the same as the fight itself?

No. The sultada is the match that is made; the fight is what happens after the roosters are released. The sentensyador declares the result of the fight.

Who agrees to a sultada?

The handlers of the two roosters agree to the pairing, and the cockpit's officials keep the order of fights.

Related guides

Related guides
GuideWhat it covers
GOGOJILI Kristo Meaningkristo meaning
GOGOJILI Sentensyadorsentensyador
GOGOJILI Tari Sabongtari sabong

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