Gold medalist Samuel Thomas Morrison of the Philippines during the awarding ceremony of the 28th SEA Games mens under 68kg final held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2 after defeating Trung Duc Phan of Vietnam.
INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
Two Southeast Asian Games gold winners lead a four-man Philippine team that will compete in the Asian qualifying event for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games scheduled on April 16 and 17 at Marriott Convention Center Grand Ballroom, New Port Complex in Pasay City.
Samuel Thomas Morrison and Pauline Louise Lopez, both 2015 SEA Games champions, Francis Aaron Agojo, 2015 SEA Games silver winner and Levita Ronna Ilao, bronze medalist in the 2015 SEA Games and Asian Games will kick for Rio de Janeiro berths.
They will face jins from 40 other countries who are eyeing Olympic tickets via the Asian qualifying event hosted by the Philippines and sanctioned by the World Taekwondo Federation.
“It is an honor for our country to stage this important qualifying competition,” says Sung Chon Hong, PTA chief executive officer. “It will also boost the spirit of our jins, since they will be performing before their countrymen.”
The PTA has also been chosen to stage the 2016 Asian Taekwondo Championships and the 4th Asian Poomsae championships right after the qualifying competition.
Among the Filipino poomsae participants are 2015 SEA Gold gold medalists Dustin Mella, Raphael Enrico Mella and Rodolfo Reyes Jr.