Training at Inspire screeches to a halt

Sparring among national athletes from combat sports stationed in the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding provinces has ceased for the entire duration of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed by the government.

Philippine Sports Institute national training director Marc Edward Velasco said taekwondo jins and boxers who camped inside Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna province, would refrain from engaging in physical contact during training until such time that the enhanced community quarantine has been lifted.

Velasco explained these athletes will remain inside the training bubble for the duration of the lockdown, but will be confined to performing individual exercises to keep them in shape for the meantime.

“We have to comply with the protocols set by the national government and wait until our athletes are allowed to resume their usual training,” said Velasco.

On the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, NCR, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan have been placed once more under ECQ due to the skyrocketing cases of COVID-19.

The ECQ began Monday and will last until April 4, but some officials expressed concern that an extension is highly possible should the situation worsen. World Taekwondo Asia announced that the Asian Qualification Tournament has been pegged May 21-23 in Amman, Jordan. It is the final qualifier that Filipino jins have to hurdle to secure spots in the Tokyo Olympics. INQ