Seventeen of the country’s brightest young taekwondo stars from the Kasilawan Taekwondo Club are now ready to put Makati—and the Philippines—in the international taekwondo map again.
Led by team manager Carlo Batalla and head coach Gani Domingo and supported by Makati Cong. Kid Pena, a 17-member Kasilawan Taekwondo Club is set to compete in three major competitions in Amman, Jordan and Bangkok, Thailand next week and Tashkent, Uzbekistan next month.
The Filipinos are widely expected to dominate all three competitions and add to their vast collection of medals numbering to more than a thousand since the establishment of the Makati-based club in 2011.
“These boys and girls are now the best and the brightest in taekwondo. I can see a bright future for all of them starting in the coming three major international competitions,” said Batalla during the formal team presentation at the Carlos Gym in Barangay Olympia in Makati.
“With the right motivation and proper training under the best coaches, these boys and girls can surely achieve their dreams of becoming future taekwondo champions,” added Batalla, also a well-known public servant in Camarines.Sur.
No less than Cong. Pena and top barangay officials of the city’s first district attended the presentation.
“My advise to these young taewondo stars is to always do their best and go for gold,” said Pena, a staunch supporter of sports, recently elected as congressman of the country’s financial district.
“There is nothing we cannot do and we cannot achieve if we keep our focus on the task at hand. Always word hard,” said Pena, who made history by winning the congressional seat over former Vice President Jejomar Binay in last May’s mid-term election.
Cong. Pena underscored the importance of sports and vowed to work closely with the Makati City government to promote sports, especially taekwondo.
First to plunge into action are Justin Mark Agno, Kristiana Catalina Tiu, Aldrich Paul Vincent Merin and Raphael V. Ongkiko, who will compete in the Asian Cadet and Junior TKD Championships 2019 scheduled July 20 to 24 in Amman, Jordan.
Leading the country’s campaign in the 5th Heroes TKD Championships in Bangkok on July 26 to 28 are Diana Nicole Supangan, Andre Rafael A. Montero and Anton Joachim A. Montero ( Poomsae/Form) and Lavaine Ashbanty Veleroso, Pearl Angeline Torrico, Zyrra Aisha Myrie Delgado, Krizha Reinz Bragais, Anne Denise M. Paraiso, Cristianne Alfonso, Victor Rodriguez, James Supremo, Carl Khrishann Millares, Marco Julio Tiu, Juan Victorio Ongsiako, Patrick Carlo Odrada, Vinn Yree R. Pineda and Zae Gabriel in the Sacramed (Kyurogi/Sparring).
It will be the turn of Kristiana Catalina Tiu and Aldrich Paul Vincent Tiu in the World Cadet Taekwondo Championships in Uzbekistan on Aug. 4- to 13.
Coach Domingo said the Spartans are now deep in training for the three international events.
“We are ready. We have been training long and hard for these competitions,” said Domingo, who also lauded the all-out support of the parents in all their activities.