THE PHILIPPINE-Smart taekwondo team boosted its preparation for the Southeast Asian Games by bagging five gold, seven silver and 14 bronze medals in kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (forms) events of the recent Korea Open international championships in Gyeongju, South Korea.
The PH-Smart jins collected the golds in junior sparring through the spectacular showing of Aaron James Galita, Keno Anthony Mendoza, Francios Aaron Agojo, Patricia Francesca Gonzalez and Inna Izabella Dionisio.
Veteran internationalist John Paul Lizardo led the silver medalists in sparring, nosing out an American in the quarterfinals and knocking out the Asian champion from South Korea before falling to a Russian in the finals.
The other sparring semifinalists in the tournament which was participated in by more than 1,000 athletes from 50 countries were Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison, Gershon Bautista and Kristhoper Robert Uy.
Korina Paladin produced the other PH silver medal in junior women’s sparring, while Ernesto Guzman Jr. and Mikeala Calamba won a poomsae silver each.
The bronze medal winners in sparring were Christian Aldela Cruz in senior men, Ma. Isabela Erika Mora and Mary Anjelay Pelaez in senior women, King Philip Pineda, Mathew Michael Padilla and Benjamin Keith Sembrano in junior men, Bianca Go, Melanie Hope Douglas, Cleio Marie Banez, Nicole Abigail Cham and Suzanne Glehn Caslangen.
The bronze medalists in poomsae were Rinna Babanto, the men’s team of Jean Pierre Sabido, Galilee Tinaya and Vidal Marvin Gabriel and the women’s team of Rani Ann Ortega, Ma. Carla Janice Lagman and Beatrice Ann Ventura.
Noel Veneracion, Dindo Simpao, Kim Hong Sik and Ko Jun-Ho handled the sparring squad while Jean Pierre Sabido led the poomsae group of the PH-Smart team sponsored by Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT, Meralco, TV5 and the Philippine Sports Commission.