DESPITE the departure of one of their top guns, the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters remain optimistic of putting up a good performance in the upcoming 40th National Taekwondo Kyurogi Championships slated July 23 to 24 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
Tony del Prado, director of the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) in Region 7, believes that the Webmasters of head coach Michael Realista can overcome the absence of Nica Garces.
“She (Garces) is very difficult to replace but I believe that we can field a formidable team,” Del Prado told Cebu Daily News.
Garces won multiple gold medals while playing for UC as an elementary and junior high school athlete.
Garces left the Webmasters after she was recruited by the National University Bulldogs.
Earlier this month, the 16-year-old Garces, who is unbeaten in the tournaments she participated in the country in the past two years, won a silver medal in the recent Gyeongju International Korea Open.
Garces was also also silver medalist in the same tournament last year.
UC will be fielding junior boys and junior girls teams in the upcoming competition.
In the boys’ division, UC will be represented by Warren Jan Rama, Dineson Cañeda, Neil Patrick Seares, Dominic Sator and Clive Coronel. The girls’ team is composed of Melody Jane Infante, Mayn Coran, Princess Megan Parba, Ellen Joy Villacarlos and Carmela Coran.
The tournament will follow a five-on-five format, wherein the first team to score three wins will win the match.