Two Ilonggo jins from Iloilo MVP Taekwondo Gym who represented the country in the prestigious 2021 World Taekwondo Poomsae Open Challenge considered their feats as a great learning experience.
Cyd Edryc Esmana and Julianna Martha Uy, both mainstays of Ateneo de Iloilo (AdI), put up a good fight in the tournament hosted by the World Taekwondo Federation from April 6 to July 12.
The two jins are mentored by Coach Mark Pinggol and are currently active members of the Philippine Taekwondo Association National Poomsae Team, headed by Coach Rani Ann Ortega.
Esmana, a native of Jibao-an, Pavia ranked 6th out of 65 participants in the world competition.
The 14-year-old jin said he’s thankful for all the recognitions he got since from the start of his career.
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity given by Grand Master Hong. Also to my National Poomsae coach Rani Ortega, coaches Jean Pierre Sabido, Galilee and to my team leader Kuya Rodolfo Reyes. Thank you also to my MVP coach Mark Pinggol and above all, to Almighty God who sustained me in this journey. Ito ay Laban para sa bayan,” he added.
For Cyril, Cyd’s mom, being chosen to represent the country in one of the prestigious events is great honor for Cyd. “Out of 65 participants all over the world, Cyd landed at 6th place during the final round. Although he didn’t able to get a medal, I may say he represented the country well, despite experiencing leg injury. For me, the perseverance and dedication he exhibits made him a winner and I’m so proud of him,” she explained.
Uy, on the other hand, ranked 5 out of 58 participants worldwide. The native of Oton, Iloilo has been competing many times in the international arena. However, she considered the recent tournament as one of the best.
“Ranking 5th at my first World Taekwondo competition is really a big achievement for me. Thanks to my coaches and family, I was able to represent my country well. I worked really hard and gave effort on my performance. Though I did not get a medal, in my heart I still won with no regrets. And so I say, on to the next challenge,” shared 13-year-old Yanna.
For Julianna’s mom, she’s happy with the achievement because she saw her daughter’s dedication to the sport.
“I am also grateful to her coaches and mentors for continuously guiding and inspiring her to become better and to dream big. They do not only give her the proper training she needs but also words of wisdom and encouragement that guide her along the way,” she disclosed.
Seeing how they work hard for the world tournament, Pinggol believed both jins are really ready to take on new challenges.
“In this journey, we encountered lots of challenge including MECQ status and injuries but with prayers and love to our country, we kept our spirits high and ignored all those obstacles and focused to our goal which is to represent our country well in this competition and we thank God for his guidance and protection. This is how true MVPinians define perseverance, taken during our Asian taping. Cyd got an injury already during our World’s taping but still made his decision to go straight to Asian taping. The struggle is real, but the champion’s spirit dominated it,” he shared.IMT
