• RITZY R. MALO-OY / CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
A 19-year-old Negrense was declared this year’s Rookie of the Year in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Season 86 Taekwondo Kyorugi Championships held at the Marikina Sports Complex on November 28 to 29.
Mary Angeline Alcantara, of Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and a proud daughter of Jun Mark Alcantara, driver for the provincial capitol, was this season’s silver medalist following a 2-day competition against National University (NU), Far Eastern University (FEU), University of the Philippines (UP), University of Sto. Tomas (UST), and Ateneo de Manila.
She’s a former Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Gold Medalist in the 3rd World Cadet Taekwondo Championships in Egypt back in August 2017, and a three-time Palarong Pambansa Gold Medalist.
A scholar of De La Salle University – Taft, Alcantara brought the DLSU Women’s Taekwondo Team to the 2nd Runner Up in the overall Women’s Taekwondo Competition and captured the Silver Medal in the Individual Category, including the Rookie of the Year Award.
The UAAP Women’s Taekwondo Kyorugi Championships saw Angeline facing off against formidable opponents, opening her debut match with a close defeat against the seasoned Nica Garces of National University, who secured the win with just a one-point lead. Undeterred, Angeline rebounded spectacularly, dominating her next four matches against competitors from UP, FEU, Ateneo, and UST with an impressive almost 12-point gap in each encounter.
In an interview following her outstanding performance, Alcantara expressed her joy and gratitude, stating, “It’s really a big achievement for me to win 4 of my 5 matches in my first UAAP run, but my ultimate goal is to have the team championship in the near future.” She went on to discuss her dedication to training and preparation, noting that she is already in talks with her teammates to intensify their efforts in strength and conditioning for the upcoming seasons.
Angeline took a moment to acknowledge the pivotal figures in her journey, saying, “I want to thank God for always giving me strength and guiding me to avoid injuries. Thank you to my Papa and Mama who are always supporting me, to Coach Vic Feria for teaching me all the techniques in Taekwondo that made me the player I am today, and to all my coaches in DLSU, Coach Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz, Coach Kirstie Alora and Coach Pogs Jazmines.”
Alcantara is a former student and home-grown player of Coach Vic Feria of Hanah Taekwondo Academy in Bacolod City.*
