Over 500 taekwondo jins from all over Luzon are set to compete in the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) – Women in Action Kyorugi tournament which opens today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila.

The two-day event is one of the first upcoming projects of the agency’s Women in Sports movement with PSC oversight Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, that aims for stronger participation of young women, 18 and below in combat sports.

“Time and time again, our women athletes have proven their excellence and ability to win medals in combat sports, like in the recent 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia. We want to build on that momentum and further strengthen women’s participation through this event,” said Commissioner Coo.

Taekwondo athletes from the national training pool are also expected to compete in the games, which will have 84 gold, 84 silver and 168 bronze medals up for grabs across various categories for Novice 1 (Yellow & Blue), Novice 2 (Red & Brown) and Advanced (Black) events.

“We thank the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) for partnering with us in the hosting of this tournament by providing coaching and technical assistance to all our participants,” added the lady commissioner, who was recently recognized by World Women Leadership Congress Awards with the “Woman Leader Award”, for her outstanding achievements as both an athlete and a sports leader.