The Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) welcomes the merry month of May with no less than three-time Southeast Asian Games karate gold medalist and Binibining Pilipinas 2002 contestant Gretchen Malalad leading a powerhouse cast on Thursday at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila.
Malalad, who was elected as president of the Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) last Feb 17, will talk about the various issues affecting the popular martial arts sport of karate as well as the country's chances in the coming 30th SEA Games in Manila.
The 39-year-old pride of Boac, Marinduque bagged three gold medals in the SEA Games in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and bronze medal in the Asian Games in Busan in 2002.
She later joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2002 where she emerged Ms. Talent and Ms. Red Bull Supreme and ABS CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity edition.
Joining Malalad in the 10 a.m. sports forum shown on Facebook live via Glitter Livestream are karate coach Reiner de Leon, World Chess Olympiad veteran WNM Christy Lamiel Bernales, NM Marc Christian Nazario and organizer Christian Anthony Flores; mixed martial arts officials Burn Soriano and Lawrence Canavan and Community Basketball Association (CBA) operations director Robert de la Rosa.
Bernales and her group will talk about the first Ahedres Pilipinas Chess team tournament scheduled May 12 at the Dapitan Sports Complex.
Soriano and Canavan will talk about developments in mixed martial arts, while De la Rosa will discuss the coming CBA Developmental League for players born 2001.