Fighting spirit pushes Barbosa to Olympic dream, bid for gold

When skills and brawn are almost equal between two taekwondo jins on the court, fighting spirit will determine the victor.

Down by double digits in the last of the three rounds of the qualifying games against crowd favorite Zaid Al-Halawani of host Jordan, Filipino taekwondo player Kurt Bryan Barbosa launched successive kicks, hitting the right spots and scoring to give him the dramatic 50-49 win and clinch the Olympic berth.

“Alam po ni Coach Caloy (Padilla) ‘yan kasi naghahabol ako ng score na hindi ako napapagod. So ibig sabihin, noon kahit may oras pa, hindi talaga ako tumitigil kasi gusto ko habulin eh, gusto ko tapusin na manalo ako lagi,” Barbosa said on Stand For Truth Olympic Series.

(Coach Caloy knows I can catch up and not get tired.  I don't waste time on the court because I always want to win.)

Barbosa, 22, said his father saw his fighting spirit and pushed him to pursue taekwondo.

“Lumalaban ako sa mga regionals tapos nanalo po ako tapos naging masaya din yung magulang ko so pinu-push through talaga ako na mag taekwondo ako kasi nakikita rin ng tatay ko na fighter talaga ako,” he said.

(I would win in the regionals and it would make my parents happy, so they really pushed me to do taekwondo because my father saw that I was a fighter.)

Barbosa, who hails from Abra, said his parents supported his sports all the way, finding means to have money so he could participate in the national competitions, which are usually held in Manila.

“Pag tuwing lumalaban po kami sa mga nationals, talagang gumagawa sila ng paraan para magkapera sila para makalaban lang po ako… talagang hindi po nila pinaramdam sa amin na mahirap talaga kami,” he said.

(When there are national competitions, they would find ways to have money so I could join...They never made me feel that we are hard-up in life.)

“May dumating din na time na nangungutang na sila kasi ‘yun nga po mahal po talaga ‘yung mga byahe… doon ko po na-ganon na ‘yung parents ko todo support talaga sa akin na kahit anong mangyari basta ‘yung gusto ko gusto din nila,” he added.

(There were times when they have to borrow money because the fare to the nationals cost a lot.  I realized how supportive they were of what I do.)—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News