Tacurong Taekwondo jins win 30 medals in regional tilt

        (October 8, 2012) Tacurong City Taekwondo Team scored a smashing victory after 30 of its 33 players won medals in the Region 12-A New Face of the Year Taekwondo Championships in Glan, Sarangani on October 6, 2012.

Of the 30 medals, six were golds while silvers and bronzes totaled to seven and 17 respectively. The players who competed in the said tournament also represented their respective schools.

   

The gold medalists were: Charles Naecolt Saavedra (Notre Dame of Tacurong College or NDTC), Andrea Camille Origenes (Jean Piaget Center for Learning), Kim Sheena Iwag (Notre Dame Siena College of Tacurong), Rencel Anating (VMC City College), Alexi Bañas (Montessori Learning Center), and Arturo Mendoza, Jr. (NDTC).

Seven players who advanced to the finals lost and eventually settled for silver medals. They were Angela Jane Segura (NDTC), Earl Tristan Trinidad (NDTC), Daisy Mae Ortele (Tacurong Pilot Elementary School), Jomer Sotto (St. John Learning Center), Neejamah Jehan Ulangkaya (Tacurong Pilot Elementary School), Alfredo de Tomas (NDTC), and Jowilbert Breboneria (NDTC).

Meanwhile, the following athletes won bronze medals: Mary Angeli Yap (NDTC), Keren Jirah Valdez (Notre Dame Siena College of Tacurong), Zayton Mamasalido (Tacurong Pilot Elementary School), Aaliyah Freno (Tacurong Pilot Elementary School), Florence Ann Mogan (Notre Dame Siena College of Tacurong), Reanold Navarro (NDTC), Christian Kyle Olidan (Professional), Nikoshi Gale Lapuz (Tacurong Pilot elementary School), and Jeriele Clarito (Notre Dame Siena College Tacurong).

Other bronze medalists included John Daniel Espino (St. Benedict Learning Center), Maxine Jayne Palpalatoc (Tacurong Pilot Elementary School), Carlos Diaz II (St. John Learning Center), Paulo Caluya (NDTC), Albeth Demafilez (Tacurong National High School), Ryan Callao (Southern Mindanao Institute of Technology), Genaiza Señorin (NDTC), and Rolf Algruin Cabras (St. Benedict Learning Center).

The tournament in Glan was also dubbed as 1^st Mayor Victor James Yap Invitational Taekwondo Tournament and served as one of the highlights of the town’s annual Lubi-Lubi Festival.

City Councilor and Taekwondo Coordinator Rodrigo Jamorabon said that he was satisfied with the overall performance of the city’s players but said they need to continue training hard to surpass the number of gold medals in the next tournament.

Tacurong’s participation in various taekwondo tournaments in the region and other parts of Mindanao was made possible through the support of the City Sports Council chaired by Mayor Lina Montilla.

Region 12-A Director and Chairman Master Robert Joshua Danao, who supervises conduct of tournaments in the region, praises the continued support of the city government in the Taekwondo discipline. He said that the unceasing support really paved way in developing young players making them competitive in bigger tournaments. There are taekwondo jins from Tacurong who currently enjoy scholarships in Manila universities, while there were some who had already played in international competitions. (Allan S. Freno)