The Philippine Star
October 21, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A lean but mean Smart/MVPSF Philippine team – five male and six female jins – vies in the World Taekwondo Championships on Oct. 24-30 in Wuxi, China.
Team Phl eyes to win the country’s first-ever gold medal in the global showpiece that brings together the best and finest in a week-long competition.
Tokyo Olympian Kurt Bryan Barbosa (-54kg) and former world junior champion Tachiana Keizha Mangin (-49kg) lead the team that includes Aljen Aynaga (-58kg), Kenneth Riley Buenavides (-63kg), Nusair Lao (-68kg),Dave Cea (-74kg), Clarence Sarza (-46kg), Baby Jessica Canabal (-53kg), Czarina Mae Danganan (-57kg) Merica Lillyn Chan (-62kg), and Laila Delo (-67kg).
“We’ll do our best in the tournament, and hopefully our players will have favorable draws especially for Kurt and Tatchiana,” said Philippine Taekwondo Association secretary-general and head of delegation Rocky Samson.