Filipino jins seek breakthrough gold at taekwondo worlds

Members of the SMART-MVPSF Philippine taekwondo team are (standing from left) Aljen Aynaga, Kenneth Riley Buenavides, Christian Al Dela Cruz (coach), Raul Samson (head of team), Roberto Cruz (coach), Kurt Bryan Barbosa, Dave Cea, Nusair Lao. Kneeling are (from left) Czarina Mae Danganan, Tachiana Keizah Mangin, Laila Delo, Clarence Sarza, Baby Jessica Canabal and Merica Lillyn Chan.

MANILA, Philippines — A lean but mean SMART/MVPSF Philippine team — five male and six female jins — will have a big mission to accomplish when it vies in the World Taekwondo Championships from October 24-30 in Wuxi, China.

The main task of the Philippine team is to win the country’s first-ever gold medal in the global showpiece where only the fittest will have the chance to stand on the podium at the end of the week-long competition.

Tapped to lead the country’s mission in the event that lured more than 60 countries are Tokyo Olympian Kurt Bryan Barbosa (-54kg) and former world junior champion Tachiana Keizha Mangin (-49kg).

“We’ll do our best in the tournament, and hopefully our players will have favorable draws especially for Kurt and Tatchiana,” said Philippine Taekwondo Association Secretary-General and head of delegation Rocky Samson. “But we’re all ready no matter what.”

Other members of the Philippine team backed by MILO, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee are Aljen Aynaga (-58kg), Kenneth Riley Buenavides(-63kg), Nusair Lao (-68kg), Dave Cea(-74kg), Clarence Sarza (-46kg), Baby Jessica Canabal (-53kg), Czarina Mae Danganan (-57kg) Merica Lillyn Chan (-62kg) and Laila Delo (-67kg).

The Wuxi event is also part of the team’s buildup for the Thailand SEA Games this December.

A medal of any color would be good enough to quench the thirst for success considering that the last time a Filipino fighter won a medal — a bronze — was during the 2003 Germany edition courtesy of Roberto Cruz.

Also fancied to do well is Sarza having won a bronze in the Chuncheon Korea Open, and of course the entries from Korea, Chinese Taipei, Spain, Iran, China and the United States.

To give the Philippine team the extra kick, Cruz — easily the most successful Filipino taekwondo athlete — has been designated as one of the two coaches of the squad. The other is Christian Al Dela Cruz.

Cruz has accounted for five of the 11 medals — five silvers and six bronzes — won by the country, and three of them were silvers starting in the 1995 Manila joust. He also finished second during the 1997 Hong Kong and 1999 Edmonton (Canada) editions. He copped his first bronze in 2001 Korea event.