By Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines amassed 40 gold medals in different events and age groups in the First World Taekwondo Cultural Expo in Jeollabukdo Province in South Korea recently.

In the kyorugi or sparring, the RP team picked up 29 golds, 14 silvers and nine bronzes, and collected 11 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes in individual poomse or form and three silvers and seven bronzes in group poomse.

“This kind of tournament is used as an incubation for our future stars,” said national coach Ricky Santiago, who added that Olympian Thsomlee Go and Southeast Asian Games winners Veronica Domingo and JR Rivero used to compete in this type of competitions.

With ages ranging from 10 to 28, the national jins competed against their counterparts from Korea, Russia, China, United States, Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

Juan Paolo Cipriano, Paolo Louis Jazmines, Daniel Pastrana, Emmanuel Moses Chan, James Edward Cruz, Anthony Gene Sarino, Joseph Benjamin Gohel, Anfernee Cris Dizon and Bernard Anthony Razon captured a gold medal each in the young junior boys kyorugi.

Gohel, Dustin Jacob Mella and Francis Aaron Agojo also bagged titles in the individual poomse in the same age category.

Young junior girls Patricia Gonzalez, Paulina Marie Naguiat, Mary Josephine Bahoy, Leigh Ann Nuguid, Xyleen Lei Paatan, Apriel May Solimen and Pamela Lois Gohel went home with golds. Solimen made it a double by also winning in the individual poomse. Marc Anthony Reyes