HUMAKOT ang Team AAK-Philippines, sa pangunguna nina Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) junior awardee Adam Ortiz Bondoc and Paulo Manuel Gorospe ng Xavier School-Greenhills, ng 23 medalya tampok ang pitong ginto para makopo ang ikalimang puwesto sa overall ng 7th Karate-do Goju-kai Association Global Championship kamakailan sa Richmond Olympic Oval sa British Columbia, Canada.
Mahigit 500 batang karatekas mula sa 24 na bansa ang sumabak sa apat na araw na torneo kung saan tinanghal ang Pilipinas na pinaka-produktibong koponan bunsod nang pagkakaroon ng 14 na atleta sa International Karate Federation-sanctioned meet.
“If you will ratio it according to number of players and medals won, the Philippines would probably rank number 1,” pahayag ni AAK coach Richard Lim.
Mag-asawang hindi nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral, pinagtapos naman ang 9 na anak!
“To all the AAK players, job well done! Your AAK family is proud of you for all the hardships & sacrifices that you have given this past few months,” said AAK coach and former international champion Richard Lim.
“To the ever loyal AAK supporting parents that have been there all throughout the training and in the championships, a big Thank you!, aniya.
Nakopo ni Bondoc, Grade 11 International Baccalaureate student at 2017 Junior Athlete of the Year ng PSA, ang gintong medalya sa Male Individual Junior’s 16-17 years old KUMITE (sparring) event. Ginapi niya ang mga karibal mula sa Chinese Taipei, South Africa, Canada, at England sa preliminaries bago nadomina ang Indonesian na si Shahab Alwi Faris, 8-0, sa championship match.
Nangibabaw naman si Gorospe, 8, Grade 3 student ng Xavier School-Greenhills, kontra Benjamin La ng Canada, 3-2, para sa gintong medalya sa boys 7-8 yrs. old individual Kata bago namayani laban sa Hungarian rival sa individual kumite.
Hindi nagpahuli si Nichole Erica Dantes, 17-year old student ng Colegio San Agustin, sa Bunkai event (nilalahukan ng dalawang player na tulad ng kata). Nakopo naman niya ang silver sa Open team event at bronze medal sa individual kumite.
Nagningning din ang husay ng 13-anyos na si Matthea Lazo ng Immaculate Conception Academy sa Individual Girls Kumite 12-13 years old +50kgs. Nagwagi rin siya ng silver sa Individual Girls Kata 12-13 years old.
Ang iba pang medalists ay sina Sakura Alforte ng La Salle-Zobel (gold, 14-15 kumite and bronze, kata); Junna Tsukii (gold, women’s open kumite, silver in team kumite at bronze -50kgs, kumite); Ricca Torres (gold, bunkai team, silver team kumite, silver individual kata); Naoki Alforte ng La Salle-Zobel (silver in 12-13 boys kata at bronze sa kumite); Johan Cancela ng Homeschool Global (silver 9-year old kumite at bronze kata); Daniel Cancela (bronze sa 12-13 individual kata at kumite).
