CEBUANO Shotokan Karatedo sensei Reynan Vidal is the newest addition to the Philippine Typhoons Karatedo team as he was named satellite coach for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar on Dec. 27.
He will be joining multi-titled Cebuano karateka Oj delos Santos in the team.
The team, according to Vidal, is now training at the Philippine Sports Complex in Pasig City. Vidal, the head coach of team Insular Square-International Shotokan Karatedo Federation (ISKF) Lapu-Lapu City, was also appointed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) earlier this year as the team’s plyometrics coach.
“I am thankful for the opportunity they have given me,” said Vidal. “I’ll do my best to train the entire team effectively. I hope that our gold medal haul will improve.”
Vidal said Delos Santos has improved his skills in kata and kumite, which will surely make him a strong contender for the gold medal. “So far, so good. We are training very hard and a lot of our guys are improving. I think we can snatch six to seven golds in the competition,” said Vidal.
Vidal will stay at the PSC complex to train the Philippine Typhoons until September and will be back in Cebu to focus on the Insular Square-ISKF Lapu-Lapu Karatedo team.
Vidal, who is also a professional International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) shooter, was chosen by PSC after his team hauled two gold medals in last year’s Buglasan Regional Karatedo tournament in Dumaguete City. The team also dominated the Batang Pinoy competition last year. He is also part of the organizing committee of last year’s ISKF World Shoto Cup here in Cebu. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL