Major Events Lined Up for Taekwondo Athletes Next Year

The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) will send athletes to various tournaments abroad to boost their chances of qualifying in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In an interview over DZSports Radio on Tuesday, head coach Igor Mella announced that more than 30 athletes have been included in the national team while 70 were named to the national training pool as of last month.

Mella said the athletes will be evaluated every two months to ensure that only those deserving will keep their slots.

The PTA’s 2017 tournament calendar will begin with the Asian Juniors and Cadets in April. Two major events — the World Championships in June and Korea Open in July — will determine the line-up for the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) to be hosted by Malaysia from August 19 to 30.

The Philippines finished second (3 golds, 3 silvers, 3 bronzes) in the taekwondo competition during the 2015 Singapore Games, two golds behind Vietnam.

This year, Kristie Elaine Alora saw action at the Rio Olympics where she placed eighth out of 16 entries. Pauline Lopez won a gold medal at the Asian Championships where the country also managed to get a silver and a bronze.

The Philippines likewise bagged a gold medal at the World Poomsae and a bronze at the World Juniors Sparring Championships. (PNA)LGI/JEAN T. MALANUM/EDS