DG SPORTS SPECIAL: Young Ilonggo Jins and Their Early Christmas Treat

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Iloilo taekwondo scene just experienced one of its earliest Christmas seasons.

Congratulations will never be enough. These kids are still young, yet they have already put the Iloilo taekwondo scene at the top of the world.

From November 30 to December 5, 2024, three Ilonggo jins made waves during the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held at the Hong Kong Coliseum, in Hong Kong.

The trio of Julianna Martha Uy, Kian Ezekiel Castigador, and Elizabeth Marie Borres brought pride to the Philippines and the City of Love as they capped off the prestigious competition with medals and honorable distinctions. As part of the Philippine national juniors poomsae pool, these young jins not only excelled in the sport of taekwondo, but they also became an inspiration to the thousands of student-athletes who had to balance extra-curricular activities and studying.

For Uy, who is under the tutelage of one of the most hardworking and decorated mentors in the Iloilo taekwondo scene, Mr. Mark V. Pinggol, owner and founder of the Iloilo MVP gym, resilience and determination brought her to where she is now.

According to her mentor, there were times when Uy contemplated quitting, stressing the high demands she needed to accomplish as a member of the national poomsae team.

Mr. MVP then said something that tweaked her mental aspect towards the sport: Will others achieve your dreams if you surrender?’

That then, became her fuel.

That line drove her to success.

Against 1,727 jins from 77 countries, Uy pulled off a majestic run together with her partner, Leno Maximus Subaste from Olongapo City, to grab the silver medal in the Pair Under-17 category.

A native of Oton, Iloilo, Uy is a current student of the Ateneo de Iloilo and has been a member of the National Training Pool team since 2019.

“With parental support and a resilient mindset, she flourished. Trust the process. Today’s results don’t dictate tomorrow. Quitting breeds failure. Persevere, pray, and strive,” said Uy’s mentor, Mr. MVP himself, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Guardian.

Aside from Uy, two other outstanding jins, Castigador and Borres, guided and coached by internationally-renowned mentor coach Flora Navales, also flaunted their skills in Hong Kong.

Castigador managed to cruise on the international stage and nabbed the bronze medal in the male cadet recognized poomsae category.

Despite falling at the hands of the Korean national team in the semifinal round of the competition, coach Navales and the rest of the Coach Flora taekwondo gym couldn’t ask for more and are already proud of what the wonder kid achieved.

Castigador is also a part of the PHL national poomsae team, but the one that left coach Navales in awe was how the young jin juggled his responsibilities of being a national athlete and a student in Ateneo.

As the youngest member of the national team at 12 years old, Castigador served as an inspiration to the youth, enduring the fatigue of flying back and forth from Iloilo-Manila to attend the PHL’s team’s training sessions while also complying with his school requirements as a young student in the City of Love.

“Grabe gd si Kian sir. Gab-i sya b malakat after training masulod pa siya klase the next day pagka hapon balik naman siya sa Manila. Kaluy-an nag bronze sila sa world’s this year sir,” lauded Navales of his talented mentee in an exclusive interview with the Daily Guardian.

Before gracing the event in Hong Kong, Castigador already turned heads during the last National Age Group competition when he took home two gold medals in Wuxi, China.

What focus and sense of responsibility you have at your age, Kian!

Lastly, another product of coach Navales, Borres, is already based in Manila when she was recruited by the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).

The stalwart Ilongga reached the quarterfinal round of the junior female recognized poomsae event, and capped off the Iloilo delegation with a sense of pride and roaring courage.

“As their coach, I have seen all of their sacrifices, juggling personal, academic, and athlete life. I am really proud of them because the preparation is never easy. There were a lot of challenges, but despite that, they were able to do their part in the team,” added Navales.

Congratulations, Ilonggo athletes!

Merry Christmas!