Smart t’kwondo to unwrap in 5 SM malls

MANILA, Philippines - Competition in the 2013 SMART Philippine Taekwondo League resumes in five different SM malls with the country’s leading and upcoming fighters seeing action.

SM Manila will host two events – one on Oct. 5 and the other on Oct. 13. Other matches  will be staged at SM Sucat on Oct. 6, SM Valenzuela on Oct. 12 and SM Bicutan on Oct. 13.

SM Fairview resumed its tournament last Oct. 29.

Tournament commissioner Monsour del Rosario and tournament director Stephen Fernandez predict another exciting set of matches for martial arts enthusiasts, especially children who want to learn the sport, in the different activities starting at 1 p.m.

Taekwondo’s officiating system – PSS (Protective Scoring System) and ESS (Electronic Scoring System) – together with the IVR (Instant Video Replay) will be used to eliminate human error and ensure accurate, fair scoring and spectator-friendly matches.

In their desire to make the tourney even more thrilling and exciting, Del Rosario and Fernandez have also decided to include a Tag round, which is patterned after one of the events organized by the World Taekwondo Federation.

Under this setup, a team with a maximum of 10 players can have unlimited substitution in one 5-minute round, with the team recording the highest score winning the match.

Supported by MVP Sports Foundation, SMART Communications Inc., PLDT, TV5, Meralco, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee, the PTL gives Filipino fighters the opportunity to display their fighting styles and techniques as they aspire to move up to a higher level.