BY NICK GIONGCO
Safety remains paramount for the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas (SBP), whose athletes have been told to strictly follow stringent government protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
SKP president and Sen. Francis Tolentino recently presided over an online meeting with the kickboxing family, reminding everyone to religiously practice social distancing even during outdoor training.
With the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) yet to allow the resumption of gym training for contact sports, the kickboxers are left with no choice but to stay indoors most of the time.
While running and jogging have been permitted, some of the kickboxers have taken advantage of the opportunity by going outside to work out.
But most of the time, they are told to stay home by the SKP, which is planning to stage an online event formally called kickboxing musical form, an equivalent of taekwondo’s poomsae.
In the meantime, the majority of the-eight-member national team remained holed up in the mountains of Northern Luzon.
Only Renalyn Dacquel, silver medalist in the women’s full contact during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), is in Metro Manila.
Jomar Balanqui, also a silver medalist in lowkick in the last SEAG, makes the most of the free time by doing high-altitude training in Baguio City.
Just like everyone, the COVID-19 outbreak messed up SKP’s busy schedule for 2020.
Tournaments in Korea and Singapore as well as a world tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, were on tap in the coming months.
Locally, a National Open was also eyed for August but just like the rest of the overseas events, it had to be scrapped.
The Philippine Olympic Committee and the government-run Philippine Sports Commission are lead groups coordinating with the IATF.
