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.