DLSU jins rule SMART national taekwondo tiff

MANILA, Philippines - De La Salle University’s fighters showed their dominance in sparring by winning the senior men and senior women titles in the recently concluded 2012 SMART National Taekwondo League.

Led by best player Kristoppher Robert Uy, the DLSU jins swept all their assignments to finish with a 7-0 record in the men’s division.

Best player Leigh Ann Nuguid shone as DLSU ruled the women’s group with a 6-0 card.

University of the East and Diliman Prep School shared the honors by emerging as the top teams in the junior boys and grade school boys divisions, respectively.

UE, powered by best player King Philip Pineda, posted a 5-1 record while DPS, led by best player Gabriel Lamarca, submitted a clean 5-0 slate. UST also chalked up a 5-1 mark, but it finished only second because it lost its match to UE.

Named best coaches of the tournament sponsored by MVP Sports Foundation, SMART Communications and PLDT were DLSU’s Roberto Cruz (men) and Dax Alberto Morfe (women), UE’s Jeffrey Figueroa (junior boys) and Elizabeth Seton School’s Alvin Taray.

The SMART League was conceptualized and organized by its chairman, Sung Chon Hong, to further propagate taekwondo.

The event, which used as format the Tag Round or the unlimited substitution in the second phase of every match, was held in SM Supermalls like Valenzuela, Marikina and Masinag to bring the sport to the public.

DLSU topped UST (6-1) and College of St. Benilde (4-3) in senior men and CSB (5-1) and UP (3-3) in senior women, UE edged UST and Arellano (4-2) in junior boys and DPS toppled Elizabeth Seton School (4-1) and San Sebastian College-Recoletos (2-3) in grade school boys.

The other members of DLSU were (men) Paolo Jazmines, James Cruz, Kirk Barbosa, Kevin Sia, R-Jay del Rosario, Gerry del Rosario, Josafat Licayan Jr. and Karl delos Santos and (women) Allysa Bonifacio, Patricia Sembrano, Patricia Gonzalez, Paola Amon, Ionnina Langit, Yna Franchesca Bonifacio, Jyra Lizardo, Apriel Solimen and Annalyn dela Peña.

Carl Nazario Garcia, Aaron James Galita, Jake Francis Calda and Clifferson Scott also helped Pineda carry UE to victory while Vince Yango, Lordrenzo Toelos, Jericho Melgar, Kurt Nartia, John Bryan Lozada and Jonathan Capacia also saw action for DPS.