ENCOURAGED by the popularity of speed kicking competitions locally, the Philippine Taekwondo Association and the Asean Taekwondo Federation will stage the first virtual Asean Taekwondo speed kicking championships on Thursday.
“Given the success of the PTF speed kicking competitions, we thought of organizing a similar event for Southeast Asia,” said Asean Taekwondo Federation president Monsour del Rosario. “Despite the pandemic, we want to unify and strengthen the taekwondo community in the region.”
Del Rosario, a former PTA secretary general, added the first international online speed kicking tournament has the blessings of South Korean PTA vice president and chief executive officer Hong Sung Chong and Indonesian tycoon Kris Wiluan, the ATF chairman.
“I am grateful that both respected men in the world of taekwondo have given their support for this inaugural international speed kicking tournament.”
PTA secretary general Rocky Samson said the last three online speed kicking PTA meets they had organized “drew from 1,200 to 1,600 entries. The event has really been a hit among our local taekwondo participants.
“This is why Master Hong is willing to lend the PTF’s expertise in staging the first Asean taekwondo speed kicking competition,” Samson said, adding registration for the ATF meet is free.
Samson said among those who have confirmed participation in the competition are entries from Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam and host Philippines.
“I am aware that some of these countries are fielding the members of their national ‘B’ teams to the tournament,” he said.
He said the scoring and judging of the speed kicking entries is patterned after that of the poomsae (forms) event, with the taekwondo jins allowed to perform a one-minute routine for the evaluation of the judges.
