It’s going to be the taekwondo jins’ turn to shoot for slots in the Paris Olympics when they compete in the 2024 Asian Qualification Tournament that starts on Friday in Tai’an City, China.
Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Arven Alcantara and Tachiana Keizha Mangin will be the first to plunge into battle when the compete in the men’s 68-kilogram and women’s -49-kg events, respectively.
Only the finalists of each weight division will qualify for the Olympics that will start on 26 July.
Meanwhile, Olympian Kurt Barbosa will compete on Saturday in the men’s -58-kg division along with Jessica Canabal, who will be fighting in the women’s -57kg division.
Allain Ganapin is also vying for a slot in the Paris Paralympics as he competes in the K44 -80-kg division.
Philippine Taekwondo Association director Stephen Fernandez is optimistic over the chances of the five-man Filipino squad.
“I hope we will have favorable results and have members of the team qualify,” Fernandez said in an online conversation.
The Philippines has always been well-represented in the taekwondo competition of the Olympics with the likes of Monsour del Rosario, Roberto Cruz, Donald Geisler, Tshomlee Go and Mary Antonette Rivero.
In the previous Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, Barbosa served as the country’s lone bet after scoring a come-from-behind win over Zaid Al-Hawani of Jordan in the 2021 Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Amman.
Ganapin was also the lone Filipino Paralympian jin who made it to Tokyo after qualifying in the same tournament.
So far, six Filipino athletes are already in the Paris Olympics led by Ernest John Obiena of athletics, Eumir Marcial of boxing and Carlos Yulo of gymnastics.
Also set to compete in the Summer Games are Aleah Finnegan of gymnastics, and Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio of boxing.
