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Cebuano jin gets spot in national youth team
Source : staff   
Monday, 18 February 2008 00:38

CEBU taekwondo, which has been strengthening the grassroots program, got a major boost when one of its esteemed products earned national prominence with a slot to the national juniors team last Sunday.

John Mark Bas was recognized during the national selection at the Central Gym of the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

So impressive was Bas that he attracted the attention of three big universities in Manila, which offered scholarships in return for playing for their varsities.


Bas, who is a high school senior at Don Bosco College and who currently trains under R Power Club of coach Raul Luna, got the attention of Grand Master Sung Chon Hong, to make it to the national pool of players. According to PTA regional head Tony del Prado, Bas will start training immediately right after graduation.

Luna said the selection was not a competition, but jins who made it to the national selection were made to fight to see if they had what it takes to be considered the future of Philippine taekwondo.

Elite athletes

“Making it to the national junior team may just be like a status quo and he (Bas) went on to join the bandwagon of the best jins in his age group,” Luna said.

To be a member of the junior team means that a jin is entitled to train alongside some of the country’s big names in taekwondo, although sans the allowances that elite athletes get from the Philippine Sports Commission.

Luna said that getting the post was not handed to his star jin. Before making it to the national selection, Bas had to compete in the Carlos Palanca Jr. national competition last Feb. 3. where he won a silver medal in the junior lightweight class. Only the gold and silver medal winners qualified for the selection.

He may have gotten just a silver medal in that competition but the consolation prize was way better as he got three universities—University of Sto Tomas, University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University—offering him scholarships, including his lodging expenses.

Since Bas is bent on training with the national junior team, studying in a university in Manila will be the most practical thing to do. Bas and his family are still weighing in which school will be giving him the best option.

Bas had been gaining prominence since he was a young boy winning in local competitions here in Cebu. Two years back, he was given the Most Outstanding Athlete diadem of the Milo Little Olympics, while winning several Samsung Best of the Best titles. He also competed in several Palarong Pambansa and regional competitions before the inter-school competition last September.
 
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