All four national taekwondo team members training under a bubble in Calamba, Laguna since January are in the final stages of their preparations, fuelled by the goal of making it to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Led by Rio Olympics’ veteran Kirstie Elaine Alora, the Filipino jins will soon leave the bubble to see action in the 2021 Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament to be held from May 21 to 22 in Amman, Jordan.
Alora will be with teammates Pauline Lopez, Kurt Barbosa and Arven Alcantara when they join the tournament serving as the Asian qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.
“For sure, ‘pag ginawa nila ang best nila sa qualification, which is just one more step to qualify for Tokyo, then, magbubunga iyung sacrifices nila,” said national coach Caloy Padilla on Facebook Live as part of the People Sport Conversations’ program of the Philippine Sports Commission.
The 31-year-old Alora will be seeking her second straight stint in the Olympics and is entered in the women’s +67 kgs category. She is currently situated at no. 73 in the Olympic rankings with 29.43 points.
The four jins have been training with their sparring partners ever since entering a bubble camp in Calamba, Laguna in January.
During the 2019 SEA Games, Alora settled for a silver in the heavier +73 kgs. class, while Lopez claimed the gold in the -57 kgs.
A two-time gold medallist in the SEA Games, Lopez is at no. 51 on the Olympic rankings with 8.45 points.
Meanwhile, Alcantara is no. 69 in the rankings of the men’s +68 kgs. class, while Barbosa holds the no. 154 rank in men’s -58 kgs. category.
National training director Dindo Simpao said the national team is currently in the proper timeline of their preparations.
“They are in their final stretches before the OQT,” said Simpao.
