MANILA – By the skin of his teeth, Kurt Bryan Barbosa became the ninth Filipino athlete to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics slated on July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan.
The Abra-native Barbosa formalized his Olympics entry with his come-from-behind 50-49 win over Jordanian Zaid Alhalawani in the men’s +67 kilogram division semifinals of the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament on Saturday night at Amman, Jordan.
Trailing 44-49 with 12 seconds remaining, the 21-year-old National University Bulldogs taekwondo team standout connected three consecutive valid kicks against Alhalawani to turn things around.
“Kurt Barbosa gave the Filipino people a timely reminder that as long as there’s still time left on the clock, we need to keep fighting,” said Al Panlilio, president of the MVP Sports Foundation.
“Even if Kurt was down big in the third round, his belief in himself never wavered and now he is an Olympian,” he added. “Congratulations to Kurt, the newest member of our Tokyo Olympics delegation.”
Earlier in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Barbosa earned a bye in the round-of-16 before scoring a 40-33 victory over Molomyn Tumenbayar of Mongolia in the quarterfinals.
Barbosa, a 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and reigning UAAP Rookie MVP, became the first Filipino taekwondo jin to qualify in the Olympics since Tshomlee Go’s stint in Beijing, China 13 years ago.
Barbosa will also be the lone taekwondo jin from the Philippines to play in the Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan following the defeat of Kirstie Elaine Alora, Pauline Lopez and Arven Alcantara.
Alora failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after suffering a 27-5 loss to Uzbekistan’s Svetlana Osibopa in the women’s +67 kilogram semifinals. The Filipina, however, salvaged a bronze medal after beating Mokhru Khalimova of Tajikistan.
Lopez bowed to Lebanon’s Laetitia Aoun, 10-21, in the quarterfinals of the women’s -57 kilogram event, while Alcantara lost to Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Rashitov, 23-9, in his category.
Other Filipino athletes who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics are weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, rower Cris Nievarez, and boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, and Ilongga Irish Magno./PN
