Phl toughest jins clash in MVP 'Best of Best'

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s leading fighters slug it out for honor in the 2012 Smart MVP Best of the Best taekwondo championships set Sunday at the San Miguel By The Bay, Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia.

Crack blackbelters from 12 regions nationwide including CAR, Region 2, Region 3, Region 6A, Region 10B and the NCR will be seeing action in the tournament which starts at 9 a.m.

Among those qualified to see action are gold medalists in all blackbelt national events like the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao championships, UAAP, NCAA, AFP-PNP Olympics and all Philippine Taekwondo Association Metro Manila and regional competitions.

Tournament director Jesus Morales III also said members of high-level blackbelt organizations like the Taekwondo Blackbelt Brotherhood (TBB), Taekwondo Blackbelt Sorority (TBS) and the Philippine Taekwondo Contingent (PTC) will also vie for honors.

Supported by SMART Communication Inc., MVP Sports Foundation and PLDT, the event is considered a breeding ground of topnotch athletes. It hopes to discover future stars including possible participants in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

To eliminate human error and ensure accurate, fair scoring and spectacular friendly games, the PTA will use PSS (Protective Scoring System), ESS (Electronic Scoring System) and the IVR (Instant Video Replay).

Competition will be conducted in the senior, junior and grade school divisions both for male and female athletes.

Martial arts enthusiasts and sports buffs, especially children who are interested to learn the sport, are invited to watch the day-long event.