4-taekwondo jins makikipagsabayan

Jordan Asian Qualification Tournament

MANILA, Philippines — Lalaban nang sabayan ang apat na national taekwondo jins sa layuning makakuha ng slot sa 2021 Olympic Games sa Tokyo, Japan.

Nakatakdang umalis kahapon sina Kirstie Elaine Alora, Pauline Lopez, Kurt Barbosa at Arven Alcantara patungong Amman, Jordan para sumabak sa Asian Qualification Tournament na sisipa sa Mayo 21-22.

Ang nasabing Olympic qualifying meet ang pinakahuling tsansa ni Alora, sumabak noong 2016 Olympic Games sa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at nina Lopez, Barbosa at Alcantara para makakuha ng tiket sa Tokyo Games.

Sa Asian Olympic qualifiers ay awtomatikong papasok sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics ang dalawang finalists sa bawat weight divisions.

Kakampanya ang 31-anyos na si Alora sa women’s +73-kilogram at lalahok sina Lopez, Barbosa at Alcantara sa women’s -56kg at men’s -58kg at -68kg. ayon sa pagkakasunod.

“We continue to focus despite the circumstances and manage to control our emotions which lead us to a mindset of making this goal to happen,” sabi ni national coach Carlos Padilla.

Pumasok ang apat na national taekwondo jins sa bubble training sa Inspire Sports Academy sa Calamba, Laguna bilang paghahanda sa Olympic qualifying tournament.

“I feel like I have nothing to lose and just give my best out there and hope that it will give me a chance to play in the Olympics,” wika ni Lopez, isang two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist at 2018 Asian Games bronze medal 00winner.