Pauline Lopez (red) is one of the country’s national jins hoping to book a slot to the Olympics. —TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.NET
Filipino jins aspiring to snare an Olympic berth have been given directives on how to approach the coming days as the Philippines continues to cope with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Gyms are still closed due to the enhanced community quarantine. But the athletes were given a program that they can do while they are in the confines of their homes,” Philippine Taekwondo Association’s (PTA) regional affairs chief, Stephen Fernandez, told the Inquirer.
Fernandez said there have been no immediate plans drawn by the national sports association leadership, but stressed that tweaks to its timelines are ought to be made once the lockdown is over.
“We also have not made any discussions yet [within] the association,” he said. “Definitely, when this quarantine period is lifted and we are allowed to meet again, PTA will sit down to discuss the adjustments on the calendar.”
The Luzon enhanced community quarantine is set to expire on April 14, a Tuesday.
The calendar, according to Fernandez, includes a plan of action for the Asian Qualifying Tournament (AQT), which has been postponed to a yet-to-be-defined date following the Tokyo Summer Olympics’ rescheduling to July 23 next year.Fernandez is also wary of the possibility that the AQT is pushed to a later date, hence the importance of keeping the national athletes in tip-top shape.
PTA is looking to make four Southeast Asian Games gold winners—Pauline Lopez, Sam Morrison, Dave Cea and Kurt Barbarosa—as the pillars of the Philippines’ Olympic bid. Kirstie Alora, who settled for silver during the SEA Games here, remains an essential part of the plan, having made the Rio Olympics in Brazil in 2016. INQ