Phl jins snare 2 titles in Asian Poomsae

MANILA, Philippines - Smart’s national taekwondo poomsae (forms) team reaped international honors for the Philippines again by winning two gold, four silver and two bronze medals in the recent 3rd Asian Poomsae Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The trio of Vidal Marvin Gabriel, Dustin Jacob Mella and Raphael Enrico Mella and Jean Pierre Sabido pocketed the two golds as the Filipinos finished fourth overall in a field of 20 countries.

Gabriel and the two Mellas triumphed in the recognized poomsae male team under 30 years old while Sabido ruled the male freestyle individual event.

The four silvers came from the poomsae male team (over 30 years old) of Sabido, Ernesto Guzman Jr. and Glenn Lava, the freestyle poomsae pair of Gabriel and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, the freestyle poomsae team of Rani Ann Ortega, Ma. Carla Janice Lagman, Glenn Lava, Jaylord Seridon and Jeordan Dominguez and Jocelyn Lyn Ninobia in the individual freestyle poomsae event.

Ninobia also pocketed a bronze in the freestyle individual competition, with Ortega, Lagman and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo producing the other bronze in the pomsae female team (under 30 years old) event.

Delegation head GM Sung Chon Hong praised the team for its splendid showing.  “They deserved to win because they trained hard in preparation for this prestigious tournament,” Hong said. 

Coach Jaewoo Song and international referees Stephen Fernandez and Tem Igor Mella also praised the SMART team’s showing. 

The team’s participation was sponsored by SMART Communications, MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT, Meralco, TV5 and the Philippine Sports Commission.