Caneda: PH taekwondo’s certified next superstar

PROUD WEBMASTER. Dineson Caneda proudly shows his gold medal garbed in UC’s official uniform during the awards ceremony of the 2016 MVP Best of the Best Taekwondo Championship in Pasay last Sunday (GRABBED FROM DINESON CANEDA’S FACEBOOK)

UC highschooler scores first rd knockout in gold medal match in Manila

In a sport not lacking in stars, is Dineson Cañeda the next big thing in Philippine taekwondo?

The 14-year old Cebuano answered this question in emphatic style again by terrorizing the junior finweight sparring class last Sunday night in the SMART/MVP Sports Foundation Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

This time, the University of Cebu (UC) high schooler captured the gold medal in devastating style, knocking out Ian Claor of Arellano University (AU) with a bone-crushing roundhouse kick in the opening round. Claor fell hard and lost consciousness.

Medics had to be called to revive him.

“Pasalamat ko sa akong mga parents, sa akong coach (Michael Realista), ni sir Tony del Prado and most of all sa Ginoo sa akong win,” Caneda said. (“I thank my parents, my coach (Michael Realista), sir Tony del Prado, and most of all to the Lord for this win.”)

Cañeda defeated an opponent from La Salle Greenhills in the semis before pocketing the gold in the championship match with an official score of, 4-1.

He won all his four fights consecutively in a span of six hours.

“This is Dineson’s best performance in Manila so far,” Philippine Taekwondo Association – 7 Regional Director Tony del Prado said.

Del Prado added that he is hopeful that Cañeda will represent the country in the upcoming World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Canada.

Of the four-man roster UC coach Realista sent to the tournament participated only by regional and national champions, the Minglanilla-native Cañeda was the only one who won gold.

The win avenged his team’s loss to the same AU squad during the elimination round of the 5-on-5 National Kyurogi Championships last July.

Meanwhile, the poomsae jins from the University of San Carlos (USC) only managed to place fourth in the team freestyle competition.

But still, it was a productive weekend for the Cebuanos as Rinna Babanto and McAvengyr Alob won gold medals for powerhouse De La Salle University.

Babanto is a former ward of USC coach Glenn Lava in the STAR Taekwondo Gym while Alob is the son of renowned taekwondo mentor Avenger Alob of the Avengers Taekwondo Center.
Cebuana sensation Nica Garces of National University, on the other hand, lost in her third fight against De La Salle College of St. Benilde.

The country has had several taekwondo jins competing in the world stage including Olympians Kirstie Elaine Alora (2016 Rio) and Stephen Fernandez and Beatriz Lucero (1992 Barcelona).

Frenandez and Lucero won bronze medals in the Barcelona Games but these were not included in the offcially tally as taekwondo was only a demonstration sport at that time. Taekwondo became an official Olympic medal sport in the 2000 Sydney Games.