Philippines, 15 Jan 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Taekwondo at SCOOP and Nat?l Softball Open


PhilBoxing.com


Adjusting to new rules in fighting is what the Philippine taekwondo team is concentrating in its preparations for the coming Asian championship late this month and the and Asian Games in November.

Precision and accuracy in delivering blows and kicks, for instance, rather than power, are the order of the day in the Filipino jins three-hour a day training, especially when the Asian championship is just around the corner on May 20-23 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Reason for the change in tactics cropped up after the implementation on the use body electronic armours, a new scoring device which will only register points in the score board if hit squarely by sensors attached on the jins? socks.
?We are now focusing on mastering the athletes? head kicks because it would be an easier chance for us to score points,? RP team assistant coach Dax Morfe said yesterday at the SCOOP sa Kamayan Forum in Padre Faura.
It would be the second time that an electronic armor will be used in the Asian Championships, and the first time that it will be introduced in the Asian Games slated Nov. 12-27 in Guangzhou, China

Morfe said head gears will not have sensors and head blows will be scored manually by judges.
?Three points will be given to head blows, two points for a turning kick to the body and one point for a simple body kick. So if our athletes will have that advantage on getting points through head kicks, we?ll have a good chance of winning.?
Athletes like welterweight Marlon Avenido, Nicole Mapilisan (fly), Camille Manalo (light) and Karla Alava (bantam), who joined Morfe in the weekly session, admitted it was hard to adjust with the new technique since the team did not have the said equipment for training, but they soon get used to the hard training.

?Mahirap sa umpisa, pero kailangan mas masanay na kami sa bagong techniques dahil feeling namin mas mahigpit na ang labanan,? said the 17-year-old Mapilisan, a University of Santo Tomas student.

The four athletes are part of the 12-man squad that will compete in the Asian Championships, where it will serve as one of the venues for the selection of their athletes going to the Asian Games. Also competing are Japoy Lizardo (fin), Jeffrey Figueroa (bantam), Alex Briones (heavy) and Butch Morrison (feather) for the men?s squad, and Jyra Lizardo (fly), Olympian Toni Rivero (welter), Elaine Alora (middle) and Michelle Monterey (welter).

The coaching staff decided not to enter veteran Tshomlee Go to ?surprise their opponents? since the two-time Olympian can either play in the featherweight or the bantamweight depending on the gold medal chances.
The team is slated to leave on May 16, to give time to acclimatize to the cold weather conditions, which could affect their performances.

?Weather in Kazakhstan is expected to hit around negative 10 degrees Celsius. We?re training in the summer heat, where temperature reaches to 37 degrees, so it?s going to be a big adjustment to the weather conditions,? Morfe said.
The team already put its preparations from twice a day to three times a day in time of the Asian Championships, while the team eyes a three-week training stint in South Korea in July.

RP Open softball tourney on today in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY ? Defending men?s champion Philippine Air Force opens defense of its Cebuana Lhuillier National Open Softball Championships when it raises its curtains today with a heavy 10-game schedule in two separate venues here.
The Airmen, who are actually seeking a third straight Crown Jewel test the mettle of BMRP-Benguet in the 9:30 a.m. second game of a five-game bill in the men?s side of competitions heavily favored to set in place its title campaign at the Baguio Athletic Bowl.
Last year?s runner up Rizal Technological University starts proving its title victory in the recent Pilipinas Softball first conference is no fluke, tangle with RnR of Benguet in the opening action at 8 o?clock.
Rounding out the inaugural day?s hostilities are the encounter between MS-Marikina and La Trinidad Valley at 1 p.m, Dasmarinas of Cavite against host Baguio City at 2:30 and Cavite Province-Philippine Navy combine against S. Louis University at 4 o?clock.

In the women?s play over at the nearby Melvin Jones Park, 2009 losing finalist Adamson University, the top favorite in the absence of last year?s winner Pampanga Legends, takes on dangerous Rizal Province at 8 o?clock, while the Mama Sita?s-University of the Philippines combine tangles with the Besao-Benguet Selection at 9:30.
Other opening day games pit Bulacan State University against RTU at 11 a.m., University of Cordillera against Polytechnic University of the Philippines at 1 p.m. and Adamson versus Bulacan State U at 4:30.
The 12 teams in the men?s division play were bracketed into two groups with RTU heading the Division A campaigners that also include MS-Marikina, Dasmarinas of Cavite, Baguio City, La Trinidad and RnR of Benguet.
PAF, Cavite-Navy, Bulacan State U, St. Lois BMRP-Benguet and the Philippine Blu Girls fall under Division B.

The Blu Girls, who are carrying the Cebuana Lhuillier banner, are playing in the men?s category to hone their skills in the absence of international exposure.
Bracketing in the women?s side will see Adamson campaigning in division A along with Mama Sita?s-UP, University of Cordillera, PUP, Besao-Benguet and Rizal Province with Adamson-Cavite, UAAP champion University of Santo Tomas, RTU, Bulacan State U and Kabenguetan of Benguet playing in Division B
A brief and simple opening rites to be jointly presided over by Baguio City Mayor Rey Bautista and Amateur Softball Association-Philippines president Jean Henri Lhuillier will be held at 7 a.m. at the Melvin Park. Also gracing the opening rites are ASA-Phil secretary general Danmny Francisco and board members Randy Dizer and Ato Rivera.

In the interest of balanced competition, members of the national men?s and women?s teams have been distributed to several competing teams with RTU getting Blu Boys Leo Barredo, Jerome Bacarisas, Apol Rosales and Oscar Bradshaw and MS-Marikina reinforced by Emerson Atilano, Marlon Pagkaliwagan, Darius Bacarisas and Mrk Rae Ramirez.
Air Force has Blu Boys Anthony Santos, Isidro Abello and Roger Rozxas in its lineup, Cavite-Navy got Jasper Cabrera, Orlando Binarao, Ben Maravilles and Vic Enriquez.

Blu Girls Dione Macasu and Joy Lasquete will beef up Mama Sita?s-UP. Adamson had the privileged of tapping Chequa Valenzuela, Sarah Agravante and Jocel Aguilar, while Esme Tayag, Gina Salvador and Jeanette Balite found themselves playing for UST.



Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Mauricio Sulaiman: WBC wants to protect fighters' dream of becoming a world champion
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 15 Jan 2026
  • Xander Zayas: "It's Time to Make History!"
    , Thu, 15 Jan 2026
  • Weights from Trenton, NJ
    , Thu, 15 Jan 2026
  • Pro Boxer and Recent Grad Returns for Fight Night on the Farm — Celebrating Stanford’s Boxing Community
    , Thu, 15 Jan 2026
  • Jamaine Ortiz Aims to Derail Keyshawn Davis’ Undefeated Streak at Madison Square Garden
    , Wed, 14 Jan 2026
  • “No bad blood from me”- Good friends become better rivals – Clarke is ready for Cruiserweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Wed, 14 Jan 2026
  • Itauma suffers injury; Magnificent 7 rescheduled to March 28
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 14 Jan 2026
  • Top Super Lightweights Bryan Flores & Starling Castillo Battle in 10-Round Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
    , Wed, 14 Jan 2026
  • Harden surpasses Shaquille O'Neal's to become the ninth all-time leading scorer in NBA history
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 14 Jan 2026
  • “It’s time, LFG” - Holly McMath Trilogy for WBC Title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • IBA President Kremlev encourages sporting organisations to protect women’s sport following Trump’s statement on Imane Khelif
    , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • REYES, STRICKLAND, BUSTAMANTE & SOUQUET SET FOR HISTORIC SHOWDOWN AT WNT LEGENDS – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
    , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • Pumicpic fights Korean in Japan
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • No. 1 rated WBA Super Flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez remains patient and Looks forward to a 2026 World title shot
    , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • Ironman 70.3 Davao on March 22
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 13 Jan 2026
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 12 JANUARY 2026: Dalton Smith Halts Subriel Matias in 5; Kabayel Stops Knyba in 3
    By Eric Armit, , Mon, 12 Jan 2026
  • Chess Players Association of Negros Occidental, Incorporated (CPANOI) – 2026 Opening Event
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 12 Jan 2026
  • STUNNING SMITH DESTROYS MATIAS TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION
    , Sun, 11 Jan 2026
  • Former WBC champ Bazooka Limón hospitalized in Mexico
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 11 Jan 2026
  • Zuffa Boxing set to unveil its maiden card on January 23 in Las Vegas
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • ‘I’ve got an army and army’s move in numbers’ Owen Corrigan returns for Light Heavyweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • Pasalamat Festival Chess Tour 2026 to Push Through
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS & TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO PRESENT CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 - VERONA, NY
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • ELIF TURHAN SIGNS NEW MULTI-FIGHT DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING – FIRST IBF WORLD TITLE DEFENCE DATE SET FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • Driving Philippine Tennis Forward: Jean Henri Lhuillier Champions the 2026 Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.