RP karatekas off to Italy
October 1, 2006RP karatekas off to Italy THE eight-man national karate team leaves this weekend to Italy as it embarks on a rigid two-month training for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar this December.
Manila Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Gretchen Malalad, Marna Pabillore and Nelson Pacalso spearhead the karatekas’ campaign in the quadrennial meet and will be joined by Bern Chu, Bong Toribio, Mae Soriano, Junel Perenia and Noel Espinosa.
Except for Espinosa, the country’s lone campaigner in the kata (forms) event, the rest are seeing action in the kumite (combat) event.
The team is trying to surpass the two bronze medals the country won in the 2002 Busan Asiad.
“We haven’t won a gold in karate in the Asian Games and I hope we could make it this time. Our karatekas are working hard in their training since February and we hope na magbunga ang lahat ng paghihirap nila,” said Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) head Ed Ponce in the weekly SCOOP sa Kamayan.
As part of their preparations, the Filipino karatekas are competing in two European tournaments in the coming months.
Following their training in Naples, Italy, the nationals immediately plunge into action at the World Karate Federation (WKF) World Championships on Oct. 13-15 in Finland.
After the meet, the team returns to Italy and resume its training.
Then in November, the karatekas compete in the Italian Open, their last major tournament prior to heading for Doha.
Malalad and Perenia are in their second Asiad while the rest are newcomers, raring to prove their worth against world class competitions from Japan, Korea, Vietnam and countries from the former Soviet republic.
In the Busan Asiad four years ago, Malalad and Cherli Tugday snatched a bronze medal each to duplicate the same feat by the country in the Hiroshima edition of the meet in 1994.
THEODORE JURADO
Peoples Journal
10/1/2006 19:30 PM
