Image Courtesy of Patrick King Perez’s Facebook account

HANGZHOU, China – He’s not a king but taekwondo jin King Patrick Perez is at least a winner.

The 23-year-old Perez took the bragging rights as the first medal winner of Team PH by taking the bronze in the men’s individual poomsae in the 19th Asian Games here.

Combining speed and grace, Perez won his first two rivals in the recognized event before losing to Asia’s No. 2 in Taiwanese Ma Yun Zhong in the semis of the freestyle event at the Lin’an Sports Culture and Exhibition Centre.

The Taiwanese lived up to his status by tallying 7.450 against Perez’s 6.910.
Despite the defeat, Perez, 23, was still a picture of contentment, saying: “I did my very best but I lost to a better player today.”

“I could not believe I won a bronze, I am really happy,” he added.

Philippine Taekwondo Association Secretary-General Rocky Samson is hoping Perez’s bronze medal win will rub off on his teammates, especially in the sparring category.

Perez, a product of La Salle, posted7.700 points to dispatch Souksavanh Chanthilath of Lao People’s Democratic Republic who tallied 7.440 points. Against Nepal’s Limbu Prem Bahadur, Perez put on another spectacular show for 7.560 points and won pulling away after his rival managed only 7.160.

The first casualty in the 12-man taekwondo team was Jocel Lyn Ninobla after facing one of Korean aces in Cha Yeaeun in the Round of 16.

Ninobla performed well, logging 7.560 points but the Korean did more jaw-dropping moves and posted 7.680 to prevail.

On Monday, Sept. 25, SEAG champion Kurt Bryan Barbosa launches his gold medal bid against Uzbek Omonjon Otajonov in the men’s -58kg.

(AI/MNM)

HANGZHOU – If fortunate enough, taekwondo could be the first from Team Philippines to deliver a medal in the 19th Asian Games here.

Seeing action first for the “Deadly Dozen” are poomsae bets in SEA Games champion King Patrick Perez and Jocel Lyn Ninobla.

For one, Perez is ranked No. 4 in his category while Ninobla is slightly favored to advance to the next round.

“They’re both ready,” said taekwondo official Rocky Samson.

The taekwondo jins are hoping to conjure the magic of 2006 that saw the PH bets won 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

“It’s hard but we will try our best,” added the amiable official.“That’s our challenge.”

The Doha edition was the country’s most productive stint so far since the inception of the popular Korean sport in the quadrennial event in the 1986 Seoul edition.

Olympian champion Kurt Bryan Barbosa, meantime, will banner the free sparring team along with multi-titled Samuel Morrison and Kirstie Ellaine Alora.

Other members of the “deadly dozen” are David Cea, Arven Alcantara, Veronica Garces, and Jubilee Briones. In the 2018 Palembang edition in Indonesia, the taekwondo jins finished 10th overall after winning three medals, including two in team events of poomsae.

The lone individual medal was accounted for by Pauline Lopez, but she won’t be returning for this year’s edition. (AI/MNM)

LAOAG CITY – When taekwondo jin Miravelle Aguinaldo Millet, 14, from Barangay Nangalisan, this city decided to open their gate for neighborhood children to play, little did she know that she had been helping them build their character.

For seven days in a row now, at least 10 children aged 5 to 11 from the neighborhood have been learning basic taekwondo moves at Millet home’s front yard where they usually gather from 8 a.m. to 10  a.m. everyday. Their free training will end on Aug. 27 in time for the opening of classes.

Miravelle’s father, Oliver said, “some of the kids had been peeping through their gate as her daughter trains with a fellow athlete from Apayao province for a tournament.”

After the tournament, Miravelle let the kids train with her inside their home for free and they gladly welcomed it.

“Mira (as fondly called by her family) used to be shy, playing by herself inside our home. Now, she’s learning to socialize with the other kids around for the love of sports,” he added.

As an elder sister to Orievell, who was born with Down syndrome, Miravelle keeps her bond with her little sister by reading a book or coloring. Sometimes, she also joins her father when the latter goes out to deliver solar lights to clients.

The older Millet said he is thankful for having a daughter like Miravelle, who thinks and acts more mature than her age.

Growing up in a digital world, most kids these days are dragged into gadgets within the comfort of their homes with limited outdoor activities, according to Millet.

For Miravelle, taekwondo is not just for defense or simply entertainment but more so for building one’s character which is needed in 21st-century learning.

As an incoming Grade 9 pupil of the Ilocos Norte National High School-Special Science Class, Miravelle dreams of sharing her talent and skill, one child at a time. (PNA)

MANILA — The Chuncheon Korea Open International Championships in South Korea witnessed a remarkable feat as three Philippine taekwondo jins clinched three prestigious gold medals.

In the men’s individual poomsae G2 under 30 category, Ian Matthew Corton displayed exceptional skill and determination, earning him the coveted gold medal by outscoring his South Korean opponent, Lee Hak-jun, with a close margin of 8.25 to 8.17.

Switching to the freestyle pairs over 17 event, the dynamic duo of Stella Yape and Darius Venerable wowed the judges with their synchronized performance, securing the gold medal with an impressive score of 7.640. This stellar performance allowed them to triumph over their Korean counterparts.

Continuing the winning streak, the freestyle team event showcased the collective talent of Juvenile Crisostomo, Patrick King Perez, Kobe Macario, Zyka Santiago, and Stella Yape. Their harmonious performance earned them the gold medal, as they achieved a remarkable score of 7.570.

In the fiercely contested individual men’s freestyle over 17 event, Darius Venerable demonstrated his prowess once again, earning the bronze medal with a score of 7.670. The top spot in this category was claimed by Jang Young-keun of South Korea, who secured the gold medal with an impressive score of 7.870.

The Chuncheon Korea Open International Championships continue to captivate spectators at the Hoban Gym in Chuncheon, South Korea, with the event scheduled to run until August 14th. (ai/mnm)