DESPITE an injury, UST taekwondo coach Dindo Simpao led the Philippine contingent’s campaign with a silver-medal finish in the men’s middleweight division of the Asian Taekwondo Championships last April 22 to 29 in Amman, Jordan.
Simpao suffered a broken forearm after his match against a Syrian opponent, but held on for two more fights before calling it quits midway into his final assignment. Down 3-0, Simpao finally succumbed to the pain.
“Second match ko pa lang, bali na. Tinuloy ko na lang. Kaya nung sa finals, itinigil na kasi hindi ko na talaga kaya,” the former Asian Games bronze medallist said. Before the injury, Simpao dominated his first match with a convincing 5-0 victory.
UST Lady jin Daleen Cordero added to the medal tally as she snatched the bronze in the women’s flyweight division. Squeaking past her first two matches against a Japanese and a Korean, Cordero came up short in her third fight to miss out on the gold medal round.
Tiger jin alumnus Donald Geisler likewise came up short in his golda-medal thrust, losing to an Iranian in his third match to settle for a bronze in the men’s lightweight division.
Tshomlee and Jefferthom Go, who are expected to be back for the Tiger jins’ University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) campaign this season, suffered disappointing setbacks in the early goings of the tournament and missed out on the medal matches. Tshomlee, who competed in the flyweight division, never made it past his first opponent. Meanwhile, his brother Jefferthom won his first fight before yielding to a Syrian in the featherweight division.
UAAP 2002 women’s taekwondo MVP Kalindi Tamayo was also given the early boot after losing her first match to a hometown lightweight jin.
In preparation for the World Cup Championships in Tokyo this July and the Busan Asian Games in September, the Petron-sponsored national taekwondo team is holding rigorous training sessions in Ankara, Turkey. The training will last for two weeks. Dominating the tussle for national team slots are the Tiger jins, copping nine out of the 14 available spots. Christian B. Bautista
