PH Taekwondo Association launches probe on Bulacan school incident

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) on Wednesday, March 27, said it launched an investigation on the case of a varsity player who sustained injuries following a sparring session with a much experienced teammate.

As reported by GMA News’ 24 Oras, a 17-year-old female yellow belter who attended Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation, Inc. (JILCF) in Bocaue, Bulacan, suffered a swollen lip and bruises on her face after being allegedly ordered by her coach to spar with a heavier male teammate, who is a black belter.

“The Philippine Taekwondo Association has been notified about this incident and we have initiated our primary investigation, working closely with our PTA officers and PTA regional directors,” the PTA said in a statement.

“Rest assured that we are taking matters seriously. We are working within our jurisdiction in determining the facts of the events to ensure accountability within our community.”

In taekwondo, a yellow belt means the student is a beginner, while a black belt signifies that a practitioner has mastered the fundamental principles of the martial art.

A video of the sparring shows the victim absorb a forceful kick to the head, prompting a surprised reaction from a teammate.

“I almost died because of the beating I got,” said the victim in Filipino.

The mother of the victim said the coach deliberately wanted her daughter to get hurt following his unsuccessful romantic advances.

“He intentionally did that because he likes my daughter,” said the mother in Filipino. “There were times when he hugged her, put his arms over her shoulder, and asked her to go out. That is no longer normal.”

Members of the JILCF taekwondo team said in a joint statement released on Wednesday that their black belt teammate aimed to do a body kick, but the victim slipped and instead got hit on the head.

The JILCF taekwondo team also came into the defense of the coach, saying the training done by the school follows PTA regulations.

“Usually, competitions by the [Department of Education] are open-belt competitions, meaning belt ranking does not matter when it comes to matchups. This is also the reason why, during sparring, there are instances when players are partnered with those who have higher belt ranking to prepare them for possible challenges in matches,” said the JILFC taekwondo team in Filipino.

The PTA asked the public to be mindful of its reaction to the case.

“May we encourage everyone to be prudent in their comments as there are minors involved in the incident,” said the PTA. – Rappler.com