Baguio City – The Baguio Defenders Taekwondo Gym used the birthday of their head instructor, Arnold G. Oglayon, last April 8, 2017 to incorporate a send off to their 26 Jins participating in the 2017 Palarong Pambansa to be held today, April 23 to 29 at San Jose, Antique.
A total of 11 elementary students and 15 high school students enrolled in the gym are taking participation at the national athletic competitions.
They are Joshua Aaron Erece and Kayle Dreshanne Bulwayan, of SLU-LES; Gabriel Ivan Inacay of Dona Aurora Elementary School; Mozart Rhyme Adviento and Jan Edward Kyle Solao of Baguio SPED Center, Adrian Paul Yadao, Eduard Kurt Maverick Santiago, Rain Ramon, and Justin Cyruz De Guzman of UB-LES; Kamille Faith Revelina Calaycay of Grace Bible Academy; Sherry Mae Munar of Quirino Elementary School.
Kirby Dreyfus Bulwayan of SLU-LHS; Justin Cyruz De Guzman and Charles Andrei Duguiawe of UB Senior High; Kuristian Daniel Mamitas and Gabriel Salaknib Soria of UB Senior Science High School; Tom Kevin Castillo and Disney Sheridann Romuar of UB High School; Aries Calya-en of Roxas National High School;
Laeia Simoune Soria, Realis Lorena Tabianao, and Chelsea Xen Tacay of UB Senior Science High School; Ailester Fias-ilon, Jessa Tumlayen and Aila Mathel Calip of UB High School; and Ashley Janel Salao of SLU-LHS.
Oglayon emphasized to the athletes, as well as his other trainees who attended his birthday celebration, in his message the need to acknowledge the support of their parents and to guard against the laying off in discipline in performing the sport.
“You are lucky because your parents are accompanying you and coming to be your side during practices and competitions. When I was at the same age as yours, it normal for parents to have you try to go to places alone and let you do things on your on your own”, he said.
“It is for this reason that you should show them utmost respect”, he continued.
He also hinted on the lack of discipline as the root cause of Filipinos not winning medals in the Olympics and advised his trainees to excel both in their academic and athletic fields.
Oglayon’s Baguio Defenders had been successfully producing medalist from the different local, national and international tournaments like the SEA Games, the ASEAN Games and the World Taekwondo Championship.
Oglayon, aware that taekwondo is one of the medal-rich sports in the Palaro, is hoping that this current batch of jins can also reap the same success as their predecessors and help the CAR contingent improve its ninth finish in the previous year’s edition.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS with reports from STEPHEN TENEDERO.
