Taekwondo Jin Lopez, seryoso sa ensayo vs. Batikang Olympians

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 27, 2021

Matinding paghahanda ang ginagawa ni two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Pauline Lopez, gayundin ang iba pang mga Olympic hopefuls, para paghandaan ang mga mahihigpit na makakalaban sa darating na Olympic Qualifying Tournament sa darating na Mayo 21-23 sa Amman, Jordan.

Bukod sa pinagdadaanang mahirap na strength and conditioning training, speed kicking drills, paghahasa ng mga techniques at sparring sessions sa loob ng Inspire Sports Academy sa Calamba, Laguna kasama sina national team mates 2016 Olympian Kirstie Elaine Alora, 3-time SEAG champion Samuel Morrison, biennial meet fin weight gold medalist Kurt Bryan Barbosa, at silver medalist Arven Alcantara ng men’s Featherweight), para sa huling Olympic qualifying tournament; tinututukan rin ng 24-anyos na taekwondo practitioner ang pag-aralan ang lahat ng mga maaaring makatapat sa Asian qualifying tournament.

Aminado ang Ateneo de Manila University student na kinakailangan niyang makapasok sa championship round, dahil tanging ang gold at silver medalist lang ang makakatawid patungong 2021 Tokyo Olympics na nakatakdang magbukas simula Hulyo 24-Agosto 8. Masuwerte na ring naitulak ng bahagya ang qualifying tourney upang mas mabigyan pa ng pagkakataon ang mga taekwondo jins na makapaghanda at makapagsanay pa sa nasabing kompetisyon.

“We’re blessed enough that in a way in a sense that our competition is being delayed, but in the same way we have more training time to prepare, so we’re blessed and lucky enough to be sent in the bubble to train physically together with my coaches and my team mates,” pahayag ni Lopez, Huwebes ng umaga sa TOPS: Usapang Sports sa Sports on Air webcast. “We’re taking one step at a time or one day at a time and stiil keeping our goals and dreams at hand, despite the pandemic, despite what’s happening we’re still focusing on our dreams and goals. That’s the beauty po of Taekwondo, we can do it anywhere and my coaches has taught me that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Kaya we’re still training harder pa,” dagdag ni Lopez, kasama sina Nestle Philippines - Milo Assistant Vice President Lester P. Castillo at 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist Stephen Fernandez sa programang suportado ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Games and Amusement Board (GAB) at Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. PAGCOR).

Kinakailangang paghandaang mabuti ng 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games bronze medalist ang kanyang mga makakatunggali na sina Rio Olympics bronze medalist Kimia Alizadeh Zonouzi ng Iran; 2018 Asian Games at 2019 biennial meet bronze medalist Vipawan Siripornpermsak ng Thailand; at 2017 Muju South Korea World championships silver medalist Lin Yi Ching ng Chinese Taipei.

Dalawang beses naunsyami ang pagsasagawa ng Asian qualifying na gaganapin dapat noong Abril 10-11, 2020 sa Wuxi, China, at nailipat noong Hunyo, 2020 sa Amman, Jordan, ngunit tuluyang napostpone dulot ng pagragasa ng coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Rongvisai, Chocolatito at Estrada, hahamunin din ni Ancajas

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 25, 2021

Tila walang masamang tinapay sa pagitan ni International Boxing Federation super-flyweight champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas at ng pamunuan ng Top Rank Promotions sa naging desisyong paglipat ng kampeon sa panig ng Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) na umaasang mas uusad ang boxing career na pansamantalang nabinbin ng halos isang taon.

Inamin ni MP Promotions President at international matchmaker Sean Gibbons na naging maayos ang paghihiwalay ng landas ng 29-anyos mula Panabo, Davao del Norte at ng dating promotional outfit na pinamumunuan ni Bob Arum.

“So basically, there was no issues with Top Rank. The issue is with the visa, the dates the pandemics, like a lot of people had, that was really the deal,” pahayag ni Gibbons sa ginanap na virtual presser nitong Lunes. “So, it took us 7 months to get the visa and arrive here on October, by that time the Top Ranks didn’t really have dates to put it on, they kind a lost interest in things and we have opportunity to join out with Al Haymon and PBC who is very good to all Filipino fighters. We’re still good with Top Rank, we’re still good with Bob Arum, but this opportunity came up and open up things a little too,” paliwanag ni Gibbons, kung saan nakatakda na ngang idepensa ni Ancajas (32-1-2, 22KOs) sa ika-9th title defense kay No.3 contender Jonathan Javier “Titan” Rodriguez ng Mexico bilang undercard match sa Abril 10 na telecast ng Showtime boxing sa Mohegun Sun Arena sa Uncasville, Connecticut sa Estados Unidos.

Tinukoy ni Gibbons na sakaling maging matagumpay sa pagdedepensa si Ancajas sa kanyang titulo kay Rodriguez ay may posibilidad na makakuha ito ng mas mabibigat na kalaban sa bigating junior bantamweight stars na kinabibilangan nina dating WBC at Ring champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai ng Thailand, dating WBA titlist Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez ng Nicaragua at unified WBC/WBA/The Ring title holder Juan Francisco Estrada ng Mexico.

Inamin ni Gibbons na malaki ang tiwala niya na malalampasan ni Ancajas si Rodriguez upang maitulak ang laban kay Rongvisai.

Judo Olympics gold medalist, pumanaw na

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | March 24, 2021

Isang malungkot na balita ang yumanig sa mundo ng sports na Judo sa biglaang pagpanaw ng isa sa pinaka-sikat na manlalaro nito sa kasaysayan na si 1992 Barcelona Olympics gold medalist Toshihiko Koga, Miyerkules, sa edad na 53-anyos.

Ipinaalam ng Japanese broadcast channel na NHK ang masamang balita sa hindi inaasahang pamamaalam ng Japanese judoka sa hindi pa malamang dahilan ng pagkawala, ngunit sinabi ng naturang news agency na napagaling na ang 3-time World Champion sa sakit na cancer nung isang taon.

“I remember clearly how he was the captain of the Japanese team for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and ended up winning the gold medal despite hurting his knee,” wika ni Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato sa naganap na news briefing nitong Miyerkules. “He was so young, and the news of his death is such a shame. I express my deepest condolences.”

Nagkampeon ang Japanese judo legend sa under-71kgs men’s lightweight division sa Barcelona Olympics ng talunin niya sa final round si Bertalan Hajtos ng Hungary. Muli itong bumalik sa 1996 Atlanta Olympics upang sumabak naman sa men’s half-middleweight competition, ngunit hindi nito nakuha ang ikalawang sunod na gintong medalya sa Olympiad ng matalo ito sa championship match kay French Djamel Bouras.

Tatlong beses itong nag-uwi ng kampeonato sa World Championships noong 1989 Belgrade, Yugoslavia at 1991 Barcelona, Spain (lightweight category) at 1995 Chiba, Japan sa -78kgs division. Nanalo rin ito ng bronze medals nung 1987 Essen, Germany World Championship at 1990 Beijing, China Asian Games.