NCAA taekwondo action kicks off Thursday

Reigning seniors and juniors champion College of St. Benilde is all out to defend their crowns as the 85th NCAA Taekwondo Championships kicks off Thursday at The Arena in San Juan City.

Hostilities start at 8 a.m. after the colorful opening rites to be led by Mapua athletic director and NCAA management committee (ManComm) member Ding Lozano as event host. But before the CSB jins begin their respective title defense bids, the Philippine women’s poomsae team will hold a demonstration of their gold-medal winning performance in the 25th Laos Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) and the 4th World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Egypt. Rani Ann Ortega, Janice Lagman and Camille Alarilla – who are set to be awarded as 2009 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athletes of the Year – will show their winning moves when they competed in Vientiane and Cairo ManComm chair Jose Mari Lacson of host San Beda hopes their presence would serve as inspiration to all athletes seeing action in taekwondo, a sport where the country has a strong chance of snaring an Olympic gold. Meanwhile, CSB coach and former Olympian Stephen Fernandez said that his jins are ready to defend their titles in the one-day tournament. – GMANews.TV