MANILA – Taekwondo jin Beatriz Karina Belicena recently won gold and silver medals in two separate online tournaments.
Belicena, an Iloilo City native, won gold in the 2021 Dajeon MBC Cup Seocheon International Open Taekwondo Championships with a score of 7.400, besting her South Korean opponent’s score of 6.866.
The Ilongga, now living in San Francisco, California, stated that she had to make slight changes to her presentation after being bracketed against younger and more flexible foes.
“After seeing my bracket here, I worked on my flexibility and kicking techniques. Having high kicks is an advantage because the judges give it much higher points,” she said.
However, the former Central Philippine University standout settled for silver with 7.100 points in the Copa Bicentenario del Peru International Taekwondo Championships, trailing the Ecuadorian gold medalist by 7.167 points.
“After my gold and silver finish in Korea and Peru, I wanted to participate again in Indonesia (virtual taekwondo tournament), hoping that I get the gold this time,” Belicena said. The Ilongga had previously competed in an Indonesian tournament and reaped bronze.
“Winning the tournaments in different countries helps me with my self-confidence, and I am just glad that I can still play the sport that I love, even virtually, despite the pandemic,” she added./PN
