Five members of the Negros Taekwondo Union-Tigers gun for slots in the Philippine junior's team when they compete in the Carlos Palanca Jr. National Taekwondo Champships that starts Feb. 5 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Leading the Jimjim Chua-mentored Tigers are former Southeast Asian Taekwondo Union Championships gold medalists Crystal Pauline Reyes and Rubilyn Mapa, who are set to defend their spot in the national squad.

The other NTU members joining the event are Carlos Padilla V, a World Cup veteran, 2005 Milo national champion Kristin Chua, who studies at Trinity Christian School, and up-and-coming Akiza Pama, a student of La Carlota North Elementary School.

The gold and silver medalists in the CPJ tournament will gain the opportunity of joining the try-outs for the national team on Feb. 12 at the Philippine Taekwondo Association Central Gym.

The national squad is expected to get major foreign exposure this year with the PTA lining up international stints that include the Asian Taekwondo Championships from April 21-23, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand as well as the World Junior Championships from July 26-30 in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Also lined up are the World Cup Taekwondo Championships in Bangkok, Thailand as well as the ASEAN Taekwondo Championships in Vietnam.

The foreign exposure is part of the preparations of the quadrennial Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in December.

Last year, the NTU-Tigers won a number of accolades, including the overall champion in the junior women's division of the 28th Milo National Championships and the Samsung Best-of-the-Best Championships.

Supporting the Negrense jins' campaign are the Province of Negros Occidental, Bacolod City government, Negros Occidental Cultural and Sports Foundation, Pascual Laboratories and the NTU-Tigers main. *CPT

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