Palanca regional tikefest on Sunday

CEBU, Philippines - The green light is on for the 5th Carlos Palanca Jr. (CPJ) Regional Taekwondo Championships this Sunday at the University of San Carlos-North Campus (USC-NC) gym.

Cebu’s top taekwondo jins will strut their wares against fighters from Bohol and Cagayan de Oro.

“We are expecting players from Cagayan de Oro and Bohol to join this Sunday’s competition because we sent invitations to them. I’m pretty much sure that a lot of tough matches will be seen this year. So far, all the preparations needed were already done and everything is set for the CPJ Regional Championships,” said assistant tournament director Rene Brojan.

Only members of affiliated clubs, gyms and schools that are in good standing with the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) may join the competition.

The one-day tilt features three divisions: senior, junior and children.

The categories for the seniors include the finweight, flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight. These classes will also be included in the juniors bracket along with the light middleweight and light heavyweight.

The children’s class, on the other hand, will be divided into seven groups according to their age.

The participants will be classified into novice (yellow and blue belters) and advance (red, brown and black belters).

The organizers warned that stiff sanctions will be slapped on those who will violate the tournament rules and regulations.

Registration fee is pegged at P350.

Aside from certificates and a Smart prepaid card, the champion will receive a gold medal, while the second and third will get silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The overall champion will be determined by ‘points system’ based on the number of medals won by each participating team in the approved divisions and categories. Seven points will be awarded to a gold medal, three for silver and one for bronze.

The top performers will represent the region to the CPJ National Taekwondo Championships on February 6-7 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. — Marigold P. Lebumfacil    (FREEMAN NEWS)