Former taekwondo Olympian Monsour del Rosario made history recently after he was honored by the sport’s world governing body Kukkiwon.
For his involvement in the growth of the sport in the country, the now Makati representative received the “Award for a Proud Taekwondo,” thus becoming the first non-Korean to be honored by Kukkiwon.
“I’m proud to share this honor with my fellow Filipinos,” said the 52-year-old de Rosario. “I hope this award will inspire them (young Filipino athletes) to strive hard and to never give up on their dreams.”
“As one of the pioneers of Taekwondo in the Philippines, I’m proud to have witnessed the development of the sport in the country,” said del Rosario, currently a member of Congress representing the first district of Makati City.
Del Rosario competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and though he became an action star, he never left the sport.
Kukkiwon actually cited 11 individuals from hundreds of candidates this year.
