The absence of 2006 Asian Games injured silver medalist Mary Antoinette Rivero left fellow Olympian Tsomlee Go to carry the brunt of the Philippine taekwondo team?s campaign in this year?s edition of the quadrennial conclave.
Head coach Rocky Samson, in fact, sounded so confident the Filipino jins can win at least a gold medal in the coming November Asiad set in Guangzhou, China to end the country?s 24-year drought in the event first contested in 1986 in Seoul.
?I think we are due to win a gold medal in the coming Games. That?s really our target. And the players are really focused and working hard to achieve it,? Samson said during yesterday?s SCOOP sa Kamayan sports forum.
Tapped to carry RP?s fight are John Paul Lizardo (finweight), Paul Romero (flyweight), Tshomlee Go (bantamweight), Jeffrey Figueroa (featherweight), Butch Morrison (lightweight) and Marlon Avenido (welterweight) in the men?s division.
Jyra Lizardo (flyweight), Jade Zafra (bantamweight), Karla Alava (featherweight), Camille Manalo (lightweight) and Elaine Alora (middleweight) will don RP?s tricolors on the distaff side.
Michelle Monterey and Fil-Am Pauline Lopez are being considered for the finweight spot, in lieu on the ACL-hit 2006 Doha Asiad silver medalist Rivero who was supposed to vie in the welterweight class.
Samson said he particularly feels good about the chances of two-time Olympian Go, also a runner-up the last time around four years ago, as well as Lizardo, a silver medalist in the 2010 Asian championships in Astana, Kazakhstan and Avenido, a bronze medalist in the same tilt.
The long-time national mentor also has high hopes on the 6-foot-2 Morrison, who upset Korea?s World Championship veteran and Olympic bronze medalist Byng Sup Song for the gold in the Korean Open in last month.
?Tshomlee (Go), Japoy (Lizardo) and Marlon (Avenido) are strong in their respective divisions and also Butch (Morrison) since he won our lone gold in the Korean Open,? said Samson in the forum backed by TV5, Mang Inasal, Smart Sports and FILA.
As part of their Asiad build-up, Samson said the RP jins spent three weeks of training in Korea, competed in the Korean Open where Morrison upstaged World Championship veteran and Olympic bronze medalist Byng Sup Song in their gold medal duel, and a 10-day session with Korea?s Asiad-bound crew here in Manila.
Besides Go?s and Rivero?s second place finishes in Doha, also scoring for the Filipino jins were Manuel Rivero, Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo, who all brought home a bronze medal each. All didn?t make it to the team this time.
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