FOR THE past five seasons, UAAP gold has eluded the UST Tiger Jins. That trend continued in Season 87, where they settled for bronze, a step down from their silver finish in previous years. 

Through every defeat, Israel Cantos was there to sustain the blow. 

“’Yong skills nandoon, ‘yong knowledge nandoon sa paglalaro. ‘Yong utak talaga — ‘yon lang ‘yong pinakakailangan naming tibayan para makuha ‘yong championship,” Cantos told the Varsitarian.

“Laging almost there, pero hindi talaga.”

When DLSU clinched the Season 87 championship, the Tiger Jins again had to settle for a podium finish. Their rivals, the NU Bulldogs, dealt them heartbreak for the sixth straight season. 

While Cantos’s UST career ended on a low note, settling for silver in the middle/heavyweight division, he said he chose to relish the moment. 

“Medyo parang nadi-disappoint din ako pero no’ng last day kasi ng laro, in-enjoy ko na rin siya,” he said. “Sabi ko, last ko na ito. Hindi na ‘to mauulit. Parang magiging memories na lang siya sa akin.”

Cantos still had a year of UAAP eligibility left but decided to forgo it to focus on his studies as a master’s in business administration student at UST. He completed his undergraduate degree in fitness sports management from the UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics in 2023.

“Sobrang fulfilled kasi sabi ko ‘yong championship na lang sa seniors ‘yong kulang,” he said. “Masaya ako sa naging career ko sa UST, sa taekwondo. Lahat naman nag-podium ako sa taekwondo competition sa UAAP. Masaya naman ako.” 

Humble beginnings, illustrious end

In 2015, the high school standout from Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in Quezon Province competed in the Palarong Pambansa in Davao City. The heavyweight division had just been introduced.

The following year, UST coaches Dindo and Jasmin Simpao brought him to the Tiger Jins, marking the start of his UAAP journey. 

He led the Junior Tiger Jins to the kyorugi title in Season 80, the first of what would become UST’s six years of dominance in the high school division that saw four championships. The streak ended in Season 85, Cantos’s first season as a senior, at the hands of NU.

Throughout his taekwondo career, he amassed medals in national and international competitions, including the World Taekwondo University Festival in Daegu, South Korea; the 16th ASEAN Taekwondo Championship; the Philippine National Games; the National CPJ Taekwondo Competition; the Philippine Taekwondo League; and the Smart/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships. 

In 2022, he earned bronze in the under-87 kg category of the kyorugi tournament at the 31st Southeast Asian Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam, cementing his young and illustrious taekwondo career. 

Cantos plans to become a licensed taekwondo coach next year. 

“Hindi ko naman iiwan talaga ‘yong taekwondo,” he said. “Gusto ko rin magturo talaga, mai-share ‘yong knowledge.”

However, for now, Cantos is focused on conquering life outside the mat. with reports Janica Kate Buan.

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