Filipino jins are looking at the Asian Qualification Tournament as their main battleground to snare the coveted spots for the Paris Olympics in July.
However, the Philippine Taekwondo Association and national team coachers are still deliberating on the number of entries it will field in the qualifier in Tai’an City, China slated 15 to 16 March.
PTA director Stephen Fernandez told DAILY TRIBUNE that the federation and delegates will be chosen from a pool of candidates.
“The candidates that will be sent to China aren’t determined yet and we will know that in the weeks to come. The main goal is the Olympics this year,” Fernandez said.
“I don’t want to pre-empt the coaching staff and the secretary general but anybody is capable in the roster. We have veterans like Kurt Barbosa but even that will be determined by the national team selection committee.”
Only the finalists in the four categories for the men’s (−58-kg, −68-kg, −80-kg and +80-kg) and women’s (−49 kilogram, −57-kg, −67-kg and +67-kg) divisions will punch tickets to the French capital for the Summer Games running from 26 July to August 11.
Barbosa was the lone Filipino to make it to the Tokyo Olympics thee years ago. He lost to Korea’s Jang Jun in the round of 16 in the men’s -58-kg event.
To help boost the country’s Olympic bid, Fernandez said the PTA tapped 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympian Kirstie Elaine Alora as part of the coaching staff.
“Elaine has been tapped to be one of the members of the national team. She was announced as one of the coaching staff for 2024,” Fernandez said of the recently retired jin.
Another former national team standout Samuel Morrison is also being eyed to lend a hand as coach.
“Butch opened his training center under the PTA. We talked yesterday and told him with his skill and experience, he will be able to produce players like him who can represent us,” Fernandez said.
“Their (Alora and Morrison) experience will be a big help since they were bemedalled athletes.”
