Recently in Taekwondo Category

By Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--The Philippines bagged 12 gold medals, including four in the senior division, in the recent 8th ASEAN Taekwondo Federation Championships held in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam. Bantamweights Jeffrey Figueroa and Esther Marie Singson, lightweight Brix Darmo Ramos and welterweight Ernesto Juan Mendoza III led the winners in the two-day tournament. The Smart/Petron team also won 9 silvers and 17 bronzes. James Martin Luzuriaga and Christine Rose Virtudazon won the junior poomse silver and bronze medals, respectively, and then combined to take the bronze in pair poomse. The other gold medalists: Juniors -- Sydney Darryl Crispino, fin; Jyra Marie Lizardo, fly; James Martin Luzuriaga, fly; Karla Jane Alava, feather; Gerry del Rosario, welter; Dennis Resaba, light middle; Kirstie Elaine Alora, middle; and Christine Rose Virtudazo, light heavy. The silver medalists: Seniors -- Billy Joel Corral, fin; Carlos V, fly; Manuel Rivero Jr., light; Marlon Avenido, welter; Igon Ducay, middle; and Ma. Criselda Roxas, middle. Juniors -- Gyie Michael Genoso, bantam; Mark Reynald Dizon, light; and Ronald Golding Jr., welter. The bronze winners: Seniors -- Gerrielyn Aranzanso, fin; Loraine Lorelie Catalan, fly; Emmanuel Alivio, bantam; Veronica Domingo, welter; Katherine Ann Bunyi, heavy; and Michael Alejandrino, heavy. Juniors -- Kirn Aldrin Ammay, fly; R-jay del Rosario, bantam; Mira Taculog, bantam; Kathleen Estrabo, bantam; Marigold Taculog, feather; Nicole Mapilisan, feather; Allen Roy Unson, light; Mary Joannina Langit, welter; Marifi Violeta Gadit, welter; Alexander Alivio, light middle; and Emron Mae Golding, light middle.

By Marc Anthony Reyes Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Athens Olympians Tshomlee Go and Antoinette Rivero will spearhead a four-man Philippine team seeking Beijing Olympic slots in the world championship in Manchester, England, next month. Philippine Taekwondo Association president Robert Aventajado said Asian Gamers Eunice Alora and Alex Briones also earned slots to the RP squad. Except for Briones, Go, Rivero and Alora all won gold medals in their respective divisions in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in Manila. The 26-year-old Go also won a silver in the bantamweight division in the 2006 Doha Asian Games. He also picked up a bronze in the 2003 Olympic qualifying, bronze in the 2002 Asiad, and silvers in the 2001 World Cup and 2000 Asian championships. Rivero, 19, is also an Asiad silver winner in the lightweight class. A SEAG gold medalist in 2003, Rivero also has a silver in the 2003 Olympic qualifier, 2003 Asian junior championships, 2003 Korean Open and 2002 SEA taekwondo union championships. At age 13, Rivero won gold in the 2001 US Open. Briones owns a silver in the 2006 Asian championships and the 2005 SEA Games. He is also a back-to-back gold winner in the 2002 and 2003 Chun Cheong Korea championships. The Laguna-based Alora took the featherweight gold in the 2005 SEAG and the bronze in the 2006 Asian Games. The 19-year-old is also a bronze medalist in the 2004 Asian and 2005 world championships. Tapped as possible substitutes are John Paul Lizardo and Loraine Lorelie Catalan.

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