Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and Olympian Tsomlee Go has decided to hang up his competition uniform and his absence will definitely be missed by his former teammates in the Philippine taekwondo team in the coming 26th Edition of the biennial meet. ?Yes, surely, we will miss Tsomlee as far as the camaraderie he?s been providing us in the national team,? head coach Rocky Samson said during Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
?That doesn?t necessarily mean, however, that his absence has weakened the national team in terms of our quest for medals,? Samson told his audience in the forum, sponsored by Coca Cola Export, FILA, TV 5 and UNTV, adding that the many-time national jin has a very talented replacement in young Butch Morrison.
?Butch has just won a silver medal in the recent World University Games and we in the Philippine Taekwondo Association strongly feel that he can ably fill in the shoes left by Tsomlee,? Samson said. Like Go, Morrison is a featherweight, the same division ruled by the retired Filipino jin two years ago in Laos.
?Para namang pinagtiyap. Nawalan ang team ng featherweight, nadagdagan naman ng isa ring featherweight. So walang nawala sa atin, as far as chances for a gold medal is concerned,? Samson pointed out. Samson, in fact, projected that the national SEA Games team is capable of, not only duplicating their predecessors? four-gold medal winning in Laos, but, likewise, improve on it.
?As I see it, medyo madali ang five gold medals na maiuuwi n gating team this year,? he predicted. ?Sabi ko nga parang hindi nabawasan sa pagkawala ni Tsomlee. And the other three gold medal winners are still with the team.?
Samson was referring to Alexander Briones, winner in the heavyweight class, May Antoinette Rivero, who will be competing this time in the heavier welterweight from lightweight and the former world champion poomsae squad made up of Carla Lagman, Rani Ann Ortega and Francesca Alarilla.
Anyone or all Laos silver medalists Eunice Alora, John Paul Lizardo, Kristie Alora and Marlon Avenido are capable of transforming their second places finishes to gold medals, Samson thinks so.
Also retaining their slots in the team are bronze medal winners Jeffrey Figueroa, Jyra Lizardo, the poomsae mixed pair of Ortega and Jean Sabido and poomsae men?s team of Anthony Matias, Brian and Jean Sabido.
Samson also assured that two-time Olympian Rivero has completely recovered from her left knee injury suffered while training for the 2010 Asian Games.
Joining Rivero and Alora in the women?s team are Leigh Ann Nugid? Camille Manalo and Karla Alava. Besides Morrison, other first-timer in the men?s team is Anthony Soriano.
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