The Iloilo MVP Taekwondo Gym is home to many potential jins who produced multiple medals not just in the national level but also in the international stage.

Following their sterling performances, Iloilo MVP continues to be the home of young champions where jins, coaches and parents treat everyone as a family.

Unknown to others, Iloilo MVP is not just a gym which produces quality jins. They also served as an instrument that provides a spark to those aspiring Ilonggos who want to be better individuals.

Owned by head coach Denmark Pinggol, the gym also extended its reach with the rise of Dumangas MVP Taekwondo Gym.

“Our main gym, Iloilo MVP Taekwondo gym at Megaworld, has offered scholarship programs to those kids who were financially challenged. Our goal as MVP coaches is to discover more potential athletes, regardless their socioeconomic status in life. This is our way to fulfil our tagged name, “The Home of Young Champions.” Pinggol shared.

With the birth of Dumangas MVP, six athletes got the chance to show their taekwondo prowess and made the gym proud of their recent feats.

During the 2021 Visayas Online Taekwondo Speed Kicking and Poomsae Championships, the MVP Scholars captured medals and defeated other teams during their first actual competition.

Dwight Deo Dating and Vincent Cayetano led the team for gold medal finishes. John Lloven Duhina, Christian Mark Palacios, and Alex Dugayo Jr. won the silver; while Shan Michael Bayatan got the lone bronze medal for the team.

“Our Dumangas scholars are actually one of the newest members of our team. I began to offer them free training programs when I noticed that most of them are in high school, and all are well-known as the “pasaway group” here in our barangay,” Pinggol said.

Pinggol said he was challenged to educate them the tenets of Taekwondo since the said sport is completely unfamiliar to them. “But I’m so happy that as we go along, they were finally able to discover their potentials and learn to love the Taekwondo program.”

For 16-year-old Dating, he joined because he knows that Dumangas MVP can help him develop not only his skills and ability but also attitude. “I always go with friends wherever they go because i didn’t know what to do in life because I’m only a simple person with low self-esteem but with Team MVP, they help me develop my self-confidence to pursue my dreams.”

Dugayo, on his part, said he chose taekwondo because he wanted to have self-discipline and to have a self defense so that he can able to protect his family. “I wanted also to be one of the players representing our country. MVP changes my whole life not just as a person or as an athlete. My perception in life has been changed also. It also gives me hope to dream big.

“Nag intra ko taekwondo kay gusto ko makatuon self defense kag na encourage man ko sa akon pakaduwa kay naga taekwondo man siya. Ang asawa ni Sir Mark nga tiya ko amo gabulig sa akon kag sa akon pag eskwela kag gabulig bulig man ko di sa ila sa pang limpyo sang gym. Dako gid ang bulig sa akon sang MVP gym tungod sang una ang oras namon na uyang lang sa wala pulos lagaw lagaw lang pero tungod sa kay Sir Mark gin tagaan kami sang chance nga maka training sang libre kay kong sa akon lang sa amon lang waay gid kami pambayad kay indi kami kasarang labi na pambakal uniform kag tungod sa taekwondo nag ka interest ako nga mangarap pagid,” narrated Bayatan.

In addition, for Cayetano, he said he wants to be a blackbelter in the future. “Sang una tambay-tambay lang ako pero subong nag bag o nako tungod sa pag join ko taekwondo sa bulig ni Sir Mark sa mga laygay ya sa amon. Kung gusto nyo mangin isa ka athlete, indi kamo mag huya huya salig lang kamo sa kaugalingon kag mag pray lang pirme,” he added.

Duhina, who is 15 years old only, hopes to develop his skills and learn self-defence. He said he will never get tired of training and hopefully, someday, he can represent the country.

“Dati ga tambay lng ako kag ga upod lagaw sa mga mego ko kag. Tungod sa taekwondo, dira ko nag bag-o kag naging maayo. Sa dason naman nga training bal-an ko mabudlayan gid kmi pero kayanon ko gid pra malambot ko ang akon pangarap. Sa tanan nga athletes, maski ano pana ka budlay kayanon gid dapat and fight lang sa aton goal,” shared Palacios.

For these six inspiring athletes, they still continue training and also look for some side job to help their family while juggling school activities. They said they will not stop learning and playing taekwondo, especially that Dumangas MVP is ready to support their dreams.IMT Sports