AROUND 2,500 fighters from across the country will take part in one of the biggest and most exciting events of the year – the 2026 SMART/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships set on Sept. 5 to 6 in two different venues inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The two-day event is organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association to honor Smart Communications and PLDT big boss Manny V. Pangilinan, who has poured in a great amount of resources for over decade now to spot and train future Filipino champions.
MVP's Olympic dream
Like PTA Grandmaster Sung-Chon Hong, Pangilinan is also eager to see a Filipino win an Olympic gold medal especially iatthe 2028 Los Angeles Games.
No Filipino fighter has reached the Olympic podium since Stephen Fernandez (bantamweight) and Bea Lucero (featherweight) won bronze medals when the Korean martial art was held as a demonstration sport during the 1992 Barcelona Games.
The Kyorugi (free sparring) competition will take place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, while the Poomsae (forms) will be held at the Rizal Taekwondo Training Center.
Given the expected fierce competition, only the best and toughest fighters from the different branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the UAAP, the NCAA, and high-level black belt organizations such as the Taekwondo Blackbelt Brotherhood can compete in the event.
The tournament will feature Senior, Junior, Cadet, Grade School, and Toddler categories, with separate divisions for male and female competitors. In Poomsae, the categories are Recognized Poomsae Individual, Team, Pair, and Freestyle Poomsae.
As in the past, the tournament will utilize the official Taekwondo officiating systems—specifically the Protective Scoring System (PSS) and Electronic Scoring System (ESS) electronic armor and socks — along with the Instant Video Replay (IVR) system. This ensures accurate and fair scoring, eliminates human error, and provides a spectator-friendly experience.
Martial arts enthusiasts and sports aficionados are invited to watch this event especially children who are interested to learn this sport. Matches start at 9 a.m. onwards.
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