PTA pumped up for Asiad

MANILA, Philippines — There’s a fresh vibe energizing the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) and with the recent transformation of the abandoned bowling center to the jins’ new training facility featuring four Olympic-size courts in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the outlook is upbeat for the seven-strong national team competing in the coming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

PTA secretary-general Rocky Samson said the Asian Games team will be composed of Jeus Yabe, 22, in men’s individual poomsae and men’s individual virtual taekwondo, Juliana Candelaria, 18, in women’s individual poomsae, Kurt Barbosa, 27, in 54kg men’s kyorugi, Dave Cea, 27, in 80kg men’s kyorugi, Tachiana Mangin, 19, in 49kg women’s kyorugi, Jessica Canabal, 26, in 58kg women’s kyorugi and Laila Delo, 26, in 67kg women’s kyorugi.  Barbosa is a 2020 Tokyo Olympic veteran and a three-time SEA Games gold medalist.

In the 2022 Asian Games, taekwondo delivered a bronze from Patrick Perez in men’s individual poomsae.  The team was made up of six men and six women.  Returning for another Asian Games are Barbosa, Cea, Canabal and Delo.

In Asian Games history, the Philippines has never bagged a taekwondo gold since the sport was introduced in 1986.  It’s the country with the most medals (four silvers, 25 bronzes) but no gold.  Among the other gold-less countries are Japan, Kazakhstan and Lebanon. South Korea has the most golds with 63, followed by China’s 15 and Iran’s 14.  The Philippines’ silvers came from Robert Vargas (64kg) in 1994, Donnie Geisler (64kg) in 1998, Tshomlee Go (62kg) in 2006 and Toni Rivero (67kg) in 2006.  In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where taekwondo was a demonstration sport, the Philippines brought home two bronzes from Bea Lucero (55kg) and Stephen Fernandez (58kg).

At PTA’s helm is Chairman and Grand Master Sung Chon Hong whose leadership has made the sport the No. 1 martial art in the country with over a million participants. Master Hong, 81, was instrumental in creating the PTA in 1976.  PTA’s president is Raffy Alunan, former DILG and Tourism Secretary.

Samson said PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio made the PTA’s relocation possible. The transformation took 10 months, maintaining the classic façade of the previous bowling center and providing for 1,000 to 1,100 seats to overlook the 2,300 square meter floor area.  To celebrate the transformation and PTA’s 50th anniversary, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. was conferred an honorary ninth dan in a recent ceremony.  Conferred honorary fifth dans were Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, POC president Bambol Tolentino, Gregorio and Alunan.  Samson said it was the first honorary conferment from the Seoul-based Kukkiwon World Taekwondo headquarters.