2,500 jins hunt glory in Smart/MVPSF championships

MANILA, Philippines —  Around 2,500 fighters – black belters included – from across the country will take part in the 2026 Smart/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships on Sept. 5 to 6 in two different venues inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The two-day event is organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association to honor Smart Communications and PLDT big boss Manny V. Pangilinan, who has poured in a great amount of resources for over decade now to spot and train future Filipino champions.

Like PTA Grandmaster Sung-Chon Hong, Pangilinan hopes to see a Filipino win an Olympic gold medal especially in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

No Filipino fighters have won an Olympic medal since Stephen Fernandez (bantamweight) and Bea Lucero (featherweight) won bronzes when the popular Korean martial art was held as a demonstration sport during the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The Kyorugi (free sparring) competition will take place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.