And with the presence of 1999 Brunei SEA Games gold medalist Jefferthom Go and comebacking Ma. Nelia Sy-Ycasas, the 16-member RP squad might once again turn out to be the biggest hope in the country’s bid to improve on its dismal fifth-place finish the last time out.
"The team this year is much better than the last one because those we are sending this time are medalists in the World Cup or the Asian Championships plus of course, the fact that we have four Olympians in the fold," said coach Stephen Fernandez.
The taekwondo team is scheduled to leave on Wednesday along with the main bulk of the 502-strong RP delegation. Taekwondo competitions in the biennial event, which is also part of the Philippines preparations for next year’s Asian Games in Korea, is set Sept. 8-11.
Joining Cruz, with five SEA Games gold medals tucked under his belt, in Kuala Lumpur are Olympians Donald Geisler, Eva Marie Ditan and Jasmin Strachan. They failed to win a single medal in Sydney but the experience alone can serve them well in this mission.
The Philippines won four gold medals in Brunei to emerge the overall champion. Aside from Cruz, gold medal winners in 1999 were Geisler, Go and Alesandro Lubiano, who is no longer in the team following his recent retirement.
Others bound for Kuala Lumpur are Albert Dax Morfe, Mark Anthony Rivero, Dindo Simpao, Manuel Rivero, Jr., Margarita Bonifacio, Daleen Cordero, Veronica Domingo, Sally Solis, Kalindi Tamayo and Tshomlee Go, a silver medalist in this year’s World Cup.
Ycasas, the 1998 Asian Games bronze medalist and silver medalist in the 1994 Asian Championships, will come off a long layoff but has trained so hard the past couple of months, making her an equally-strong medal contender like the rest of her teammates.
Expected to crowd the Filipinos in the Malaysian capital are Vietnam, which hosted the World Cup last May, Thailand and Indonesia.
Fernandez, however, looks at Vietnam as the biggest stumbling block to the Philippines‘ title-retention bid.
"We’re looking at Vietnam as our toughest rival. And among the SEA Games countries, it’s Vietnam which has shown a lot of improvement not only in taekwondo, but in other sports as well," he said.
Aside from Fernandez, also calling the shots for the team will be Noel Veneracion, Jesus Morales and Manolo Gabriel, who will also serve as team manager. Taekwondo Association of the Philippines vice president Sung Chon Hong will also join the team.