Senator Joel Villanueva filed a resolution to commend fellow Thomasian, Tachiana Mangin for bagging the Philippines’ first gold in the women’s category of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships.
“Mangin’s record-breaking performance at the World Taekwondo Junior Championships has brought great pride and honor to the whole UST community and the country,” Villanueva said on his Senate Resolution No. 1212.
“Her victory serves as an inspiration and motivation to all Filipinos, especially the youth and aspiring athletes, and thus merits recognition from this august chamber,” he added.
The senator called the 16-year-old Mangin a rising star, who can help popularize taekwondo and entice the youth to get into sports.
Mangin, a University of Santo Tomas Senior High School student, ruled the women’s -49kg category final of the tournament after defeating South Korea’s Kim Hyang-gi in a down-to-the-wire finish.
Mangin’s historic win made her the first-ever Filipina gold medalist of the competition. Her victory also marked the country’s first junior world title in 28 years, following Alex Borromeo’s triumph in the 1996 edition of the tournament.
The World Taekwondo Junior Championships is a biennial tournament for the juniors age category organized by World Taekwondo, the sport’s governing body. First held in 1996, it is the world’s largest taekwondo competition in the juniors category.
“After our victory in the Olympics, Tachiana adds a fresh layer to our sporting landscape with her gold medal win that placed the Philippines on the world taekwondo podium,” Villanueva said.
“She has shown that good health, drive, persistence, and strength can get young people to their goals,” Villanueva added.
