Friday, September 12, 2008 Davao karatekas to compete in '08 Asian Championships
FRESH from their successful stint in Singapore, the karate experts from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) will again try to bring honor for flag and country when they compete in the Asian Championships on December 19 to 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
AAK Davao contributed a total of one gold medal, one silver, and five bronzes for AAK Team Philippines that emerged over-all championship in a recent tournament in Sinagpore.
AAK Davao playing-coach Rommel Tan, who bagged two bronzes in the 3rd Sports Masters Karate Cup in Singapore, said they will engage into a more rigid and intense training for the Asian Championship.
"We hope we can still bring home more golds," Tan said during the regular Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum Thursday at the Tower Inn.
Tan, however, said Japanese and Malaysian bets are very tough players to beat and that they will have to go through the eye of a needle to overcome them.
Pretie Joy Goc-ong, who captured the gold in women's openweight kumite and a bronze in -53 kilogram kumite, confirmed the supremacy of Japan and Malaysia in the sport.
"They're bigger, taller and they have higher belts. But I still hope to defend my title that's why I'll continue to train in the evenings after my classes," Goc-Ong said.
AAK's Davao's Izrafel Nakan (one bronze) and Christin Juvin Alba (one silver and one bronze) also formed part of the country's team that saw action in Singapore.
The four-member AAK Davao team is set to pay a courtesy call to local officials during the flag-raising ceremony at the City Hall on Monday. (MLSA)
