Friday, August 29, 2008 AAK bets in Singapore meet By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
FOUR members from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao team will battle for honors in the 3rd Masters Athletic Cup slated September 4 to 7 at the Hotel Grand Central in Singapore.
The Singapore stint came on the heels of AAK Davao's successful campaign in the SM National Invitational Karatedo Championships where the team bagged one gold medal, one silver, and two bronzes at SM Fairview, Quezon City over the weekend.
AAK Davao chief instructor Rommel Tan, also the Davao City coordinator of the Philippine Karatedo Federation, said they are set to leave on Sunday for the competition.
"We started training for the competition four months ago. We are ready to play and I'm excited because the Singapore event will be my comeback after taking a break from competition since 2000," Tan said during the regular Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum Thursday at the Tower Inn.
Tan used to be a consistent medallist in national tournaments and two-time So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation awardee.
Tan said he is entered in the openweight team kumite event and +75 kgs. men's open category along with teammate Izrafel Nakan. Completing the team roster are SM National Invitational Karatedo Championships women's open -53 kgs. kumite silver medallist Pretie Joy Goc-ong and girls 14-15 kumite gold medallist Christine Juvin Alba.
Goc-ong, a 19-year-old Commerce senior student at the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC), said she believes she can compete against the best.
"I've been telling myself I can do it. But at the same time I need to work hard and listen to my instructors," Goc-ong said.
Alba said: "I hope I can win even a bronze (smiles). I've been training four to five hours a day just to prepare myself for the competition."
Tan said they expect a very stiff contest in their respective events with the presence of powerhouse Malaysia and Vietnam teams.
Two other HCDC bets, Arthur Lao and Jhon Albert Albarico, who captured bronzes in boys kumite 12-13 and 9-10 categories, respectively, in the SM invitational barely have three months left for training before they see action in the Asian Championships set on December 19 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
