The country’s top poomsae athletes converge in Manila for the National Poomsae Taekwondo Championships on June 25. Cebu is hoping to win the overall crown this year after being denied by Baguio last year.
inquirer.net file
Cebuano jins hope to duplicate if not surpass their second place finish last year when they compete once again in the National Poomsae Taekwondo Championships on June 25 in Manila.
The Philippine Taekwondo Association in Central Visayas (PTA-7) on Friday said that they have yet to finalize the names of the players who will join the national tournament which the Cebuanos nearly dominated in 2016.
Last year’s Cebuano delegation, led by jins from the S.T.A.R. Taekwondo Gym of coach Glenn Lava, finished second behind Baguio City in that edition with a harvest of nine gold medals from nine different categories.
But PTA-7 Director, Tony del Prado is optimistic that Cebu will finally nail the overall crown this year with three and not just one taekwondo club set to carry the Cebuano colors.
“Other Cebu coaches like Lorena Genovesa of Toledo City and Avenger Alob of Ateneo de Cebu will be participating,” Del Prado told Cebu Daily News.
The S.T.A.R Taekwondo Gym players are the ones who would usually represent Cebu in poomsae competitions in the country and internationally, but Del Prado said that having other Cebu teams to join is a positive sign that the local taekwondo scene is vibrant and dynamic.
“(This) goes to show that we have progressed in developing poomsae (in Cebu) and it is no longer confined to one club,” Del Prado added. “(Surely) we will be facing stiff competition from Baguio and Region 2 (in the tournament). They have improved a lot.”
Waiting for Babanto and Alob
Del Prado also expressed his excitement for the country’s top poomsae wards like Cebuanos Rinna Babanto and MacMac Alob to return to Cebu and teach the sport.
“The poomsae community in Cebu is all waiting for MacMac Alob and Rinna Babanto to graduate from college so they can return to Cebu and teach,” said Del Prado.
Babanto and Alob are both playing for the De La Salle Green Archers in Manila and have a respectable collection of awards since they started playing taekwondo when they were still kids.