Filipino jin Barbosa takes on top-seeded world champion in Olympics debut
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino jin Kurt Barbosa will be in for an acid test in his first contest in the Tokyo Olympics.
Barbosa will be up against the top seed of the tournament in Korea's Jun Jang in Taekwondo Men's -58kg.
TRACKER: Team Philippines at the Tokyo Olympics
The 22-year-old, who is seeded 16th, will lock horns with Jang at 10:52 a.m. on Saturday at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
Jang is a world champion following a gold medal finish in the World Championships held in Manchester in 2019.
He has also won five gold medals in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix series.
The Filipino, meanwhile, is a gold medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and was named both UAAP Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in Season 81.
Barbosa qualified for his first Olympics through the 2021 Asian Qualification Tournament in Jordan.
He bested home bet Zaid Alhalawani in the tournament where he used a buzzer beating body kick to stun Alhalawani, 50-49.
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