Japan, Taiwan offer Filipinos training tips

THE PHILIPPINES can learn from the experiences of Japan and Chinese Taipei in building Olympic champions.

Philippine Olympic Committee chair Tom Carrasco said this yesterday after a recent meeting with Taiwanese officials where they drew up an agreement that will allow Filipino taekwondo-jins to study the winning formula of Taiwan’s national taekwondo team.

Taiwan nailed two gold medals in the 2004 Olympics in Athens courtesy of flyweight Chu Mu-yen and female flyweight Chen Shih-hsin. The Taiwanese have also captured one silver and five bronze medals in the combat sport since the 2000 Games in Sydney.

“They offered to establish support and share information,” said Carrasco.

POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. also said that Japan is willing to provide help to Filipino gymnasts and swimmers.

Japan has won 29 golds in gymnastics and 20 in swimming with Kosuke Kitajima winning the 100m and 200m breaststroke golds in both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“We can learn from their experience and it will open options for our NSAs (gymnastics and swimming),” said Cojuangco.

The country hasn’t won an Olympic medal since 1996, when boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. won a silver in Atlanta.