Coach Japoy grateful at Milo sports through the years: Champion maker, beacon of hope for young dreamers

CEBU, Philippines — Before he fell in love with taekwondo, John Paul G. Lizardo, also known as coach Japoy, first embraced the sport that is closest to the heart of Filipinos - basketball.

He was eight then.

For three years, the young Japoy enjoyed shooting hoops under the guidance of MILO-BEST Center. Ball is life for him at that time.

However, when the cage program of their school stopped for a year, Lizardo swiftly turned his focus to taekwondo buoyed by his deep interest in the famed Korean martial art.

“My first sport was basketball. I was eight then,” shared Lizardo in an online interview. “But I shifted to taekwondo when I was 11 because the basketball program in our school was stopped for one year. That time, I also like watching Bruce Lee movies and I’ve seen some of movies of sir Monsour del Rosario. One time, I saw some students doing taekwondo in school and I decided to join.”

Already acquainted with the tried and tested programs of Milo Sports and knowing that it’s a breeding ground for topnotch athletes who went on to bring pride and glory to the country, Lizardo immersed himself in Milo summer clinics during his fledgling days as a taekwondo disciple.

Unbeknownst to him, it became his launching pad to sporting greatness.

Lizardo admitted though that shifting from one sport to another was not easy.

“At first, it’s very challenging to start a new sport,” said Lizardo, who is also a commercial model and an actor known for his roles in Maalaala Mo Kaya (1991), Celebrity Bluff (2012), and I Dare You (2011). “But with perseverance and hard work, I’m sure everybody can overcome that challenge.”

Drawing all-out support from his parents and entrenching in his heart all the technical know-how he gained from the training camps and various developmental tournaments of Milo Sports, Lizardo went on to carve his own niche as one of the best and brightest Filipino taekwondo jins of his generation.

A member of the national team at age 18, Lizardo first shot to game when he bagged silver medal in the men’s finweight category at the 2001 Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships in Brunei. He also had two silvers and one bronze in the senior division of the Asian Taekwondo Championships and competed in the World Championships twice in 2007 and 2009.

In addition to his shining credentials, Lizardo won bronze medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China and two gold medals at the 2005 Manila and 2011 Indonesia Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. He also once served a flag-bearer and head coach of the Phl squad.

Gazing through his colorful past, Lizardo couldn’t help but look back with a grateful heart for what Milo Sports has done to his storied career all these years.

Even at this time of pandemic, coach Japoy made himself relevant and productive by teaching kids sports and encouraging young aspiring jins to continue their champion journeys through online platforms under the banner of Milo Sports.

“Milo Sports program has been a really good help in my champion journey. It helped developed my skills and not just that, it instilled discipline in me, helped me build champion habits and learned many values that I am still able to use now,” said Lizardo, who is now happily married with world champion wife Janice Lagman to whom he has two children in Jace and Jevi.

“To Milo Sports, thank you so much for believing in me. Thank you for making me the champion that I am today. Thank you for being part of my champion journey ever since! Thank you also for helping our young athletes achieve their champion dreams!”.