PTA: No indication that coach wanted to harm yellow belter
Published April 4, 2024 11:36pm An official of the Philippine Taekwondo Association revealed the results of its initial probe on the sparring incident involving a 17-year old female yellow belter and a heavier male black belter. The yellow belter suffered injuries as her coach allegedly set her up to spar against the black belter. In […]
Tomas Kauer - News Moderator 
An official of the Philippine Taekwondo Association revealed the results of its initial probe on the sparring incident involving a 17-year old female yellow belter and a heavier male black belter.
The yellow belter suffered injuries as her coach allegedly set her up to spar against the black belter.
In a report by Oscar Oida on 24 Oras on Thursday, PTA’s investigation found no indication that the coach wanted to harm the yellow belter.
PTA secretary general Rock Samson said the taekwondo body also received the results of the investigation conducted by Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation, and reviewed the practice videos.
“Actually, kung titingnan n’yong mabuti ‘yung video, hindi naman papunta ‘yung sipa sa mukha. It’s two body kick, dalawang papunta sa katawan. It just so happened na ‘yung second kick, padulas ‘yung bata kaya tumama siguro sa mukha, but again sa video na pinapanood ko, ‘di ko makita kung papaano tumama sa mukha kasi nakaharang na ‘yung supposed to be nagre-referee sa kanila.”
(If you will see the video, the kick was not heading for the face. It’s two body kicks, two kicks heading to the body. It just so happened that the athlete was somehow slipping, possibly why the kick landed on the face, but in the video, I could not see clearly how it landed on the face since the supposed referee was somehow blocking the shot.)
Coach says no intention to harm
In the said report, the coach of the yellow belter also said there was no intention on his part to harm his student.
“Wala akong intensyon na ipabugbog ‘yung bata,” the coach said to digital news site Arkipelago News.
“Expected na pagdating sa taekwondo na matatamaan talaga, masasaktan, mai-injury, matutumba. Lahat ‘yun normal, expected ‘yun kasi nasa physical sports tayo.”
(There was no intention to physically harm her. It is expected in taekwondo that one will be hit, hurt, injured, or fall. It’s normal and expected since this is a physical sport.)
The coach said that it was also usual for a male and a female athlete, even if they are of different belts, to go against each other in sparring.
He also denied the allegations that he was jealous because the boyfriend of ‘Cindy’ the yellow belter brought flowers to practice, and said he scolded the whole team for doing something that is not expected of them.
He also said there is no truth to allegations that Cindy was his type.
GMA Integrated News is trying to reach out to Cindy and her family for their side.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
