Smart/MVPSF nat’l age group taekwondo tilt set

The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) hopes to spot potential members of the national team when it stages the SMART/MVPSF National Age-Group Championships on 16 to 17 November at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The two-day free sparring event has generated so much interest that it now has lured more than 2,000 participants from all over the country to take part in various age categories.

Backed by Philippine Sports Commission, Milo and the Philippine Olympic Committee, the tournament will not only highlight the progress of the sport in the country but will also unveil several of its promising players as young as four years old.

The participants will be categorized into Novice and Advance with four divisions under each category, namely: Juniors, Cadet, Grade School and Toddler.

All male and female competitors will be classed accordingly and this early, entries from Manila loom as heavy favorites to dominate the tournament.

It is also part of PTA’s massive effort to produce another Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz who dominated his weight category for years before earning a slot in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Just recently, Tachiana Mangin made heads turn when she captured the gold in the 49-kilogram of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships.

As an added attraction, the famed Kyungmin University Demonstration Team has been invited to perform during the opening ceremony set at 1 p.m. Action starts at 9 a.m.