Filipino jins plunge into action Friday

SINGAPORE—Taekwondo starts Friday in the Southeast Asian Games with events in both poomsae and gyeorugi where the Philippines expects to boost its golden drive.

The country is counting on the young jins to provide a strong finishing kick for the SEA Games campaign although the events were trimmed to just three each in men’s and women’s gyeorugi.

The Philippines will also only see action in three of five events in poomsae.

Competing for the country are Francis Aaron Agojo, Dustin Mella, Raphael Enrico, Sam Morrison, Rodolfo Reyes Jr., Jenar Torillos, Rinna Babanto, Irene Bermejo, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, Ronna Levita Ilao, Pauline Lopez and Jocel Lyn Ninobla.

Agojo and Morrison try to improve on their silver medal  two years ago in Burma (Myanmar).

Mella is part of the gold-medal winning poomsae team in the 2013 edition, but this time he will have new partners.

“This is a very young team but they are prepared and will do more than one gold (in poomsae),” said poomsae coach Jean Pierre Sabido.

Babanto, who hails form Cebu, and the men’s team snared bronze in the world championship last year in Mexico. The team trained under a Korean coach.