Cebuano jins runners-up in National TKD C’ships

DESPITE finishing a medal short compared last year, the Cebuano jins still stamped their class in the recently concluded National Poomsae Taekwondo Championships last Sunday at the Makati Coliseum in Makati City.

The Cebuano jins raked a total of eight gold medals in eight different categories, a medal shy of their nine-gold medal haul in last year’s edition of the tournament. Coached by World Poomsae champion Glenn Lava, the team finished the tournament with five silvers and seven bronze medals good for a second consecutive first runner up overall finish in the tournament.

The promising Aidaine Laxa and Alyssa Llenes of the University of San Carlos (USC) once again delivered as each collarred gilts for Cebu after reigning supreme in the black belt female individual poomsae category.

Sacred Heart School Hijas’ black belter Johann Concepcion also joined the two as he also bagged a gold in the male individual poomsae competition while Rayn Perez of the Exceed Learning Naga also won one of her own in the yellow belt action of the same category.

Meanwhile, USC’s Romeo Reyes III and Southwestern University’s Quincy Faye Asilo also outclassed their counterparts to rule the mixed pair freestyle category of the tournament that gathered the best poomsae jins in the nation.

The pair of Shane Nasayao and Lee Robie Gayle Navales, on the other hand, won in the black belt team event while the trio of Jon Alexander Llenes, Xander Palacpac, and Dennis Francis Arquero proved too much in the same category.

In the colored belt team category, Sophia Puerto, Micah Torres, and Rebekah Ponte also pocketed golds.

“I’m still happy because we still got the first runner up award in the tournament,” Lava told Cebu Daily News.

Team Baguio finished as overall champions once again in the competition, finishing with a 16–8–16 (gold-silver-bronze) tally.