Cebuano Dineson Cañeda took an early exit in the 2016 Gyeongju Korea Open Taekwondo International Championships after he was narrowly beaten by a Korean opponent in the quarterfinal round yesterday in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Cañeda, a native of Minglanilla town, south Cebu, engaged in a nip-and-tuck affair against the Korean but eventually fell, 13-14.
Despite the setback, Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) Region 7 Director Tony del Prado believes Cañeda will bounce back.
“Buo ang loob ni Dineson, and we are confident that he will move on to better and bigger things,” Del Prado said. “He lost by the skin of his teeth.
There is a saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you better.”
The Cebuanos still have a chance to make a statement as Nica Garces and Sal Lugi Estrada look to repeat their remarkable stints from last year’s edition of the international tournament organized by the Korean Taekwondo Association.
The National University Bulldogs’ Garces and UC’s Estrada will strut their wares in the bantamweight division and featherweight division, respectively.
Garces won a silver medal last year while Estrada was able to salvage a bronze.
Del Prado is confident both will have a better stint this year.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
