Barbosa, Alora pangungunahan ang PH taekwondo team

PANGUNGUNAHAN nina Olympian Kurt Bryan Barbosa at Kirstie Elaine Alora ang 25-member Philippine delegation sa Asian Taekwondo Championship at Korean Open International Taekwondo Championship.

Ang Asian Championship ay nakatakda sa June 22 to 27 susundan ng Korean Open sa June 29 to July 5. Ang parehong tournament ay gaganapin sa Hoban Gymnasium sa Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province, South Korea.

Makakasama ni Barbosa sa kyorugi (sparring) men’s team ay sina Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison, Dave Cea, Israel Cesar Cantos, Arven Alcantara and Joseph Chua, Habang pamumunuan ni Alora ang women’s squad na kabilang sina Sharifa Vianca de la Cruz, Veronica Garces, Baby Jessica Canabal, Realis Lorena Tabiando at Laila Delo.

Bomubuo sa poomsae (form) team ay sina Rodolfo Reyes Jr., Raphael Enrico Mella, Patrick King Perez, Jeordan Dominguez, Darius Venerable, Justin Kobe Macario, Joaquin Dominic Tuzon, Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Aidaine Krishia Laxa, Angelica Joyce Gaw, Janna Dominique Oliva, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo at Laeia Soria.

Kyorugi coaches Dindo Simpao, Paul Romero at Christian Al de la Cruz, poomsae coach Rani Ann Ortega at Philippine Taekwondo Association secretary general Raul Samson, na gaganap bilang team manager, ay bahagi rin ng delegation na aalis patungong South Korea sa June 20.

Si Barbosa ay galing sa matagumpay na kampanya sa Vietnam SEA Games kung saan siya nagwagi ng kanyang ikalawang sunod-sunod na gold medal sa men’s minus 54kg category.

Maliban sa medalya mula kay Barbosa, Nagbulsa rin ang Pilipinas ng gold medal sa women’s individual poomsae courtesy of Ninobla. Pumitas rin ang team ng limang silvers mula kay Alora (73kg), Canabal (53kg), Cea (-74kg), men’s team poomsae (Reyes, Mella, Perez) at mixed freestyle team poomsae (Dominguez, Venerable, Macario, Oliva, Crisostomo) at three bronzes from Morrison (-80kg), Cantos (-87kg) and Delo (-67kg).

“I am always eyeing for the gold medal,” Wika ng 22-year-old Barbosa Martes nang tanungin tungkol sa kanyang medal prospects sa South Korea.