Smart nat'l t'kwondo lures best youth jins

MANILA, Philippines - Future stars of Philippine taekwondo – some as young as four years old – strut their wares on Nov. 19-20 in the 2011 Smart National Age-Group Championships at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Around 1,000 youngsters from all over the country will vie for honors in two divisions – junior men and women (for fighters aged 14 to 16 years old) and grade school (boys and girls 13 years old and below).

According to organizing committee chair Sung Chon Hong, the event showcases the young talents of the sport. A long-time key official of the Philippine Taekwondo Association, Hong has envisioned the early introduction of our youths to taekwondo, thus providing much needed support to the country’s grassroots sports program.

Taekwondo has been one of the country’s major sources of medals in international competitions like the ongoing Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, the Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

The age-group competition is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Smart Communications, MVP Sports Foundation, PLDT and Milo.

Parents interested to enrol their children at a young age will enjoy watching the two-day event starting at 9 a.m.