This early, Isabella del Rosario is already stepping out of the giant shadow of his distinguished father.
The 15-year-old Del Rosario made a lot of heads turn when she emerged victorious in the girls’ featherweight event of the Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association taekwondo competition over the weekend at the San Beda Alabang Gym in Muntinlupa City.
Del Rosario’s name rings a bell.
She is the daughter of Monsour del Rosario, who rose to prominence after winning a bronze medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics until becoming a household name in the entertainment industry.
Monsour also served as secretary general of the Philippine Taekwondo Association and representative of the First District of Makati City in the House of Representatives.
But with the young Del Rosario’s impressive win, it will not be a surprise if Monsour passes the baton of greatness to her in the coming years.
Displaying grin and resiliency, the De La Salle Zobel star beat Keanne Pumaren and Gabrielle Navarro in the kyorugi event, much to the delight of Monsour, his wife, Joy, and eldest child, Matti, who were in the stands to witness the conquest.
In her opening bout, del Rosario started slow as Pumaren beat her by four points in the opening round. But she refused to give up as she dominated the second round by six points to force a decider, which she one by just one point.
With momentum on her side, del Rosario outclassed Navarro in the first round, 12-0, and in the second round, 14-2, respectively, to bag the gold medal in the prestigious tourney featuring some of the country’s best young jins.
“You do not lose if you get knocked out in the ring or in life, you lose if you stay down and do not get up and continue the war of life,” Monsour, now the president of the Asean Taekwondo Federation, told his daughter before the match.
He added that he is proud, not because of the victory, but because of the never-say-die attitude that his daughter showed.
“I am proud of my daughter’s gutsy performance, especially in the first match. She simply refused to give up,” del Rosario said.
“This experience of having won a major tournament is a big motivation and inspiration for my daughter and, undoubtedly, will make her an even better fighter in the future.”
