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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider PTA pins high hopes on 'Fab Four'

PTA pins high hopes on 'Fab Four'

Published Aug 23, 2026 02:20 pm

At A Glance

  • Before heading to the 2026 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya next month, the "Fab Four" of the SMART/MVPSF Philippine women's team will be chasing greater glory in the World Taekwondo Women's Open Championships from Aug. 28 to 30 in Taiyuan, China.
MEMBERS of the SMART/MVPSF Philippine women’s team pose with their coaches prior to a training session. They are (from left) Czarina Mae Danganan, Tachiana Keizha Mangin, Kirstie Elaine Alora (coach), Stephen Fernandez (head of delegation), Paul Romero (coach), Clarence Sarza, and Baby Jessica Canabal.
MEMBERS of the SMART/MVPSF Philippine women’s team pose with their coaches prior to a training session. They are (from left) Czarina Mae Danganan, Tachiana Keizha Mangin, Kirstie Elaine Alora (coach), Stephen Fernandez (head of delegation), Paul Romero (coach), Clarence Sarza, and Baby Jessica Canabal.

Before heading to the 2026 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya next month, the "Fab Four" of the SMART/MVPSF Philippine women’s team will be chasing greater glory in the World Taekwondo Women's Open Championships from Aug. 28 to 30 in Taiyuan, China.

The task is likened to Hollywood’s "Mission Impossible" because of the expected fierce competition. 

Still, Philippine Taekwondo Association, led by Grandmaster Sung-Chon Hong, is convinced that Tachiana Keiza Mangin, Clarence Sarza, Baby Jessica Canabal, and Czarina Mae Danganan can go toe-to-toe against their world-class rivals.

For one, the Fab Four and other members of PH squad – thanks to the support of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and MILO – have trained intensively under the revered coaches in Korea.

In Taiyuan, the Fab Four will get the chance to gauge their Asian rivals in the flesh in as top jins from China, Iran, Thailand, Chinese-Taipei, and Korea will also be there. 

All eyes will be on the 18-year-old Mangin.

The former world junior champion is hoping to use the Taiyuan event as her own barometer to see if can she can reach the podium or not.

Same thing for the other three other fighters, with Sarsa out to surpass her bronze medal finish at the 27th Asian Taekwondo Championships.

Canabal and Danganan have also made their marks in their previous international stints – the latest of them was during the SEA Games last year.

The PTA is one of the country’s top medal producers in the continental showpiece with 28 medals. Sadly, not one of them is gold. 

That’s the main reason why Grandmaster Hong is doing everything possible to make the association’s golden anniversary celebrations more vibrant and meaningful.

Olympian Stephen Fernandez will head the delegation while former champions Paul Romero and Kirstie Elaine Alora have been designated as coaches.

After the World Championships and Asian Games, PTA will also send its top athletes in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December.

Related Tags

Philippine Taekwondo Association Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games
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