Father-daughter duo leads PH bid in online tourney

From their home in Las Pinas City, father-and-daughter team June and Jocel Ninobla brought focus to online poomsae when they won gold medals for the Philippines last year.

Now the country is counting on them once again in the World Taekwondo Poomsae Challenge next month.

But national head coach for poomsae Rani Ann Ortega said that while there will be an open category where family members can field teams, the Ninoblas will be competing in the premier event for national teams.

“Our goal is just to surpass ourselves in the last tournament,” said Ortega, a former World champion herself. “But online is different. it poses a different challenge because you can’t video tape yourself over and over every time you don’t like your performance.”

Jocel bagged the under-30, while her dad ruled the under-60 classes of the first ever World Online Poomsae last year.

Ortega said siblings Vincent and Paul Rodriguez of General Santos City, and Acey and Aesha Oglayon of Baguio City will represent the country in the open siblings category.

All finalists in the seniors and cadets will qualify for the grand finals in December, according to Ortega.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Taekwondo Association is organizing the Online Global Taekwondo Championships starting on Saturday.

Ninobla and fellow Southeast Asian Games champ Rodolfo Reyes Jr. will banner the national team in poomsae. Kyurugi or combat events (speed-kicking) will be held Sept. 25 to 26.

The Online Global meet has also lured competitors from South Korea, Iran and the United States.