TWO UST jins in the RP developmental pool struck gold in the recent Asean Taekwondo Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Jefferthom Go and Josephine Strachan, who are likely to boost UST’s bid in this season’s UAAP taekwondo tournament, contributed to the Philippine delegation’s output of four golds, four silvers, and two bronzes. The Philippine team finished second overall behind a fast-rising Vietnam squad, who managed to snatch six gold medals.
Strachan, who contributed important victories en route to the UST Lady jins’ third consecutive title last year, defeated a Malaysian foe to end on top of the women’s lightweight category.
Go, a former SEA Games gold medalist, took top honors in the men’s featherweight division. The Team-A member had to rally to win in the finals against a Vietnamese opponent. Down 0-2 at the end of the first round, Go went for broke to blitz to a 6-5 decision.
Meanwhile, six Thomasian jins will don the country’s colors in the upcoming Busan Asian Games slated Sept. 29 to Oct. 14. The Philippine team, fresh from rigorous training sessions in Turkey, hopes to improve on the country’s 1998 campaign that failed to produce a gold medal.
The 12-man contingent is led by Thomasian Olympian Donald Geisler, who will compete in the welterweight division. UST men’s and women’s taekwondo head coach Dindo Simpao will represent the country in the middleweight category.
Rounding up the male campaigners are Alex Briones and Tshomlee Go. Briones, a UST sophomore, will compete in the lightweight matches. Go will fight in the flyweight division.
On the women’s side, veteran campaigner Daleen Cordero will fight for top honors in the flyweight category. Kalindi Tamayo, an Education junior, will compete in the lightweight division.
The RP taekwondo team is mentored by Korean coach Kim Tae Hyung. Christian B. Bautista
