MANILA, Philippines – The future of Philippine taekwondo looks bright as Tachiana Mangin struck gold in the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.
The 16-year-old jin edged Korean bet Kim Hyang-gi, 2-1, in the final of the women’s -49kg category on Friday, October 4, for the Philippines’ first medal in the tournament.
In a nerve-racking contest decided until the final second, Mangin broke down in tears after clinching the third and deciding round, 7-6.
Comfortably up 6-1, Mangin saw Kim fight back and tie the count at 6-6, but the Filipina pulled through after being awarded a point with just three seconds left.
Mangin convincingly won the opening round, 14-8, only to witness Kim force a decider as the Korean escaped with a 4-3 victory in the second round.
The golden feat by the UST Senior High School standout further proved her status as a rising star after she nearly qualified for the Paris Games.
Mangin fell short of an Olympic berth following a narrow defeat to Asian champion Dunya Abutaleb of Saudi Arabia in their semifinal bout in the World Taekwondo Asian Qualification Tournament in Tai’an, China last March.
Greece’s Lamprini Asimaki, who lost to Mangin in the semifinals, and Aiuna Menkenova shared bronze honors.
Mangin also beat Egypt’s Habiba Wael Emerah in the quarterfinals, Thailand’s Natkamon Wassana in the round of 16, and Spain’s Judith Cordoba in the round of 32. – Rappler.com
