Three female world class jins begin the Philippine taekwondo team’s bid in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos. Rani Ann Ortega, Janice Lagman and Camille Alarilla are the first ones to plunge into action for the 16-member strong taekwondo team as they compete in the team event (female) of poomsae.
Making its SEAG debut, poomsae is a set of fighting techniques of form in taekwondo. And hopes are high for the three jins as they will be coming fresh from their gold-medal stint in the last 4th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Cairo, Egypt. "Excited and at the same time
medyo tense because first time
naming to compete here," said the 22-year old Lagman, a registered nurse. A total of five gold medals will be at stake in poomsae, giving the country’s other bets to win in the sport that has long been the dominated by Olympians Mary Antoinette Rivero and Tshomlee Go. Preliminaries in poomsae competitions that include individual (female and male) team (female and male) and mixed event, begin Wednesday at the Booyoung Gymnasium National University.
Ortega, Lagman and Alarilla, niece of Philippine Ambassador to Laos Marilyn Alarilla, are all former members of the national sparring team. "
Mas challenging
ang poomsae
kaysa sparring because here just one mistake, it can already cause you a lot. Unlike sparring, where you can still recover even if you’re trailing," Ortega said. Aside from the three, Rivero and Go, others in the taekwondo squad are Marlon Avenido, Alexander Briones, Kathleen Eunice Alora, Criselda Roxas, Kirstie Elaine Alora, John Paul Lizardo, Jeffrey Figueroa, Jean Pierre Sabido, Brian Alan Sabido, Anthony Ray Matias and Jyra Marie Lizardo. Only Go took home a gold medal in the 2007 biennial meet in Thailand, with four others settling for the silver including two-time Olympian Rivero.
– GMANews.TV 
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