ILOILO City – Ilongga poomsae standout Juliana Martha Uy delivered a golden sweep for the Philippines, capturing two gold medals in separate World Taekwondo ranking tournaments in South Korea and Indonesia, capping a remarkable international campaign and reinforcing her status as one of the country’s rising poomsae athletes.
Uy, a member of the Philippine national team and a former Ateneo de Iloilo–Santa Maria Catholic School varsity standout and Poomsae team captain, first ruled the Women’s Team Under-30 event during the 7th Kimunyong Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships held on July 27 at Jangchung Arena in Seoul, South Korea.
She sustained her winning form by claiming another gold medal in the same event at the 8th Asian Taekwondo Indonesia Open Championships in Jakarta on Aug. 2, helping the Philippine squad conclude its overseas campaign with another podium finish.
Prior to the competitions, Uy underwent a week-long training under a Korean master as part of the Philippine National Team’s preparations backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Apart from her two team gold medals, Uy also reached the quarterfinals of the Individual Recognized Poomsae Under-30 Female division in both the Chuncheon Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships on July 22 and the Kimunyong Cup International Open Taekwondo Championships.
The Ilongga campaigner represented the Philippines in three World Taekwondo ranking events during the international tour, adding another milestone to her growing international résumé.
Ateneo de Iloilo hailed Uy’s latest achievements, saying her success reflects the discipline and dedication she developed during her years as a student-athlete while serving as an inspiration to aspiring taekwondo practitioners and bringing honor to both the school and the Philippines./PN
