Taekwondo star set to retire?

MANILA, Philippines - Three-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games taekwondo gold medalist Tshomlee Go will keep an altar date with long-time girlfriend Renee Ann Ortega in San Francisco in January and although he’s keeping his options open, it’s unlikely the University of Santo Tomas graduate will wear a dobok in an international competition again.

Go, 29, returned from the Asian Games in Guangzhou last week with a bronze medal in the men’s under-63 kilogram division. He beat Iran’s Reza Naderian, 9-7, and Tajikistan’s Khusrav Giyosov, 11-3, before losing a 5-4 heartbreaker in sudden death to Korea’s eventual gold medalist Lee Dae Hoon in the semifinals.

It was not widely known that in losing to Lee, Go suffered a chip fracture in his right middle finger. Go said the injury isn’t an excuse for the setback. After the match, he went to the Asian Games clinic where doctors put a splint on his finger. Doctors in Guangzhou offered to perform surgery on Go but he decided to wait until his return to Manila.

Last Nov. 25, Go went under the knife at the UST hospital. Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Alberto Molano put a pin to keep the fractured bone in place during the delicate 2 1/2-hour procedure. The pin will align the bone as it heals and regenerates. The recovery period is six weeks.

Go will leave for the US on Dec. 10 and spend the holidays with Renee and her family in San Francisco. Renee’s sister Rani Ann, Janice Lagman and Camille Alarilla won the world’s poomsae ladies team championship last year.

“I’ve spoken with Master Hong (Philippine Taekwondo Association vice president and Grandmaser Sung Chon Hong) about my future,” said Go. “Master Hong is like a father figure to me. I told him about my plan of getting married. I also mentioned that I will probably retire from competition. He was quiet. It was very sad for me because taekwondo has been a big part of my life for over 10 years. Master Hong asked me to see him again before I leave so we could talk some more.”

Go appears to be a shoo-in for another gold medal at the SEA Games in Jakarta next year. National coach Rocky Samson said the way Go performed in Guangzhou, he’ll be the man to beat in his division at the coming SEA Games where the hotshots from Korea, Chinese-Taipei, China and Iran are not competing.

But Go may opt to retire. For sure, Guangzhou was his last Asian Games. A swan song in the SEA Games is still a possibility although the chances are slim for Go to pursue a four-peat.

“Overall, it was a tough draw for us in the Asian Games,” said Samson. “Tshom’s first match was against an Iranian who had beaten him in the last Asian Championships. But he came through. And he was competitive against Lee up to the end.”

Go said it may be time to focus on starting a family. “Renee wants to take up doctorate studies in psychology in San Fransisco,” he said. “I’ve been competing for over 10 years. It’s hard to give up taekwondo. As a coach, I always share my experiences with my students. I tell them what to do and what not to do. I remind them to have a goal, that it’s not enough to just compete. I challenge them to achieve, to go all out in every competition. I tell them that they shouldn’t be satisfied making it to the varsity team or national team, that if they have a goal, they should do what it takes to achieve it.”

Go represented the Philippines twice in the Olympics. He bagged a bronze in the under-58 kilogram class at the 2002 Busan Asian Games then pocketed a silver in the under-62 kilogram division at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Go is arguably the most outstanding taekwondo jin the Philippines has ever produced.

“Tshomlee never gives up,” once said Hong. “His fighting spirit is a big advantage. He fights his best up to the end.”

One of Go’s most memorable feats was capturing the bronze medal in the under-49 kilogram category at the World Olympic Qualifying Games in Manchester in 2007. He crushed Yemen’s Akram Ahmed Ahmed Abdullah, 4-1, edged Denmark’s Philip Reyes in sudden death and defeated Thailand’s Chutchawal Khawlaor, 2-1, before bowing to Athens Olympic gold medalist Mu Yen Chu of Chinese-Taipei in the semifinals. Go went on to beat Egypt’s Tamer Salah Bayoumi, the Athens Olympic bronze medalist, in a repechage match for the ticket to Beijing.

Go took the same route in qualifying for Athens, picking up the bronze at the World Olympic Qualifying Games in Paris in 2003.

Go’s father Tomas owns and operates a taekwondo gym in Los Angeles with sons Jefferthom and Charlthom. Go stays in Manila with his mother Lilia and is a UST assistant varsity coach. His mother will also leave for the US.