Team Visayas’ campaign in secondary taekwondo in the coming 5th Milo Little Olympics National Finals suffered a minor blow yesterday after two of its potential medalists were taken in by the Philippine national junior team.
Raul Luna, tournament manager for taekwondo in the Milo meet, told Cebu Daily News yesterday that two members of Team Visayas will not be able to compete as they will leave for Korea to train as part of the national taekwondo junior team which will compete in the World Championships in Indonesia.
The two Visayas Team athletes from Bacolod City, who made it into the national junior team, are secondary bets Deb Matthew Daclan of Livingstone International School and Irene Therese Bermejo of Trinity Christian School.
“Dako unta tag chance makakuha ug daghan nga gold sa secondary division but Daclan and Bermejo will be leaving for Korea. Nya lig-on sad ang players sa Cagayan de Oro sa Mindanao although dili kaayo lig-on ang NCR,” Luna said.
Luna, however, did not say if there will be other players who will replace Daclan and Bermejo in the team.
Team Visayas, though, will still have a fighting chance as it still has Jan Mickael Casana of St. Joseph School-La Salle, Kylle John Flores of Southwestern Unversity, West Negros University’s Jason Lenard Locsin and Dennis Andrew Tallafer, Bacolod City NHS’ Jasper Jack Saga, University of Cebu’s Kristian Ralph Tagarao and Ateneo de Iloilo’s Lovett Shauden Uy De Ong.
In the secondary girl’s division, left to man Team Visayas are Cebuana jins Andre Lim and Zozen Prajes, both of the University of Cebu, Arielle Legaspi of Negros Oriental High School in Dumaguete City, Stephanie Marie Lamayo of St. John’s Institute, Rhea Mae dela Cruz of Notre Dame Talisay, Noelyn Rose Campos of Antique NHS and Trinity Christian School’s Jullienne Bermejo.
The elementary boys division, on the other hand, will be spearheaded by Cebuanos Dineson Wilfred Caneda of St. Thomas Aquinas School Montessori-Cebu and Patrick Keith Nacorda of Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School.
They will be joined by Adrian Philip Amihan from the Educational Training Center School of Bacolod, Francisco Enteimo of Asuncion Lisarez ES of Negros Occidental, Delegate Angel Salazar Jr. Memorial School of Antique’s Jan Kenneth Rafols and Sta. Rita Academy-Antique’s Leo Dominic Zaragoza.
The elementary girls’ division, on the other hand, will have lone Cebuana bet Cha Ynah Lebiste of Guadalupe Elementary School, Shaira Isabel from La Consolacion School-Gardenville in Neg. Occ., University of St. La Salle-Bacolod’s Camille Andrea Miraflores, Memorial School of Antique’s Ma. Cyrillenne Odi and Nicole Frances Renegio.