By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) continues to monitor both its grassroots and elite programs despite training limitations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
PTA grassroots head director Stephen Fernandez said they are using their online platform to provide training for their athletes in the grassroots level.
National team coaches are also closely monitoring their elite athletes who are training on their own as they prepare for the Asian Olympic qualifier rescheduled in the first quarter of 2021.
The Asian Qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics was originally scheduled in April in Wuxi, China, but was reset last June in Amman, Jordan. But since the pandemic has not yet contained, the World Taekwondo Federation postponed it on a still unidentified date next year.
“We’re hoping na matuloy pa rin ang (Olympic) qualifying. That’s why our athletes still continue with their training,” Fernandez said.
Only Asia and Europe have yet to host a qualification tournament after African, Oceania and Pan American qualification events were held early this year prior to the virus outbreak.
Each country can send a maximum of two male and two female athletes in the qualifier.
So far, the PTA has five in the elite training pool: Pauline Lopez, Elaine Alora, Arven Alcantara, Samuel Morrison and Kurt Barbosa.
The PTA can only hope that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases will approve the recommendation of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee to allow Tokyo Olympians, as well as those with high chances of qualifying to the Games, to train in approved facilities.
