MANILA – Amoranto Stadium, located on Roces Avenue in Quezon City, will be the venue for a taekwondo event this Sunday, targeting students of the martial art.

The event, named Mapata, anticipates the participation of over 600 students, revealed by event organizer and taekwondo star Pauline Lopez.

Lopez expressed her excitement about the event’s debut in Quezon City, highlighting its inclusive nature with participants ranging from young children to teenagers up to 18 years of age. The focus, she emphasized, is on nurturing the younger generation.

Participants, hailing from Makati, Pasay, and Taguig, reflect the Mapata acronym and are set to compete starting at 10 a.m.

Lopez emphasized the importance of participation over winning medals, stating that joining the competition is a victory in itself. She believes the event provides the young athletes with a goal and a break from routine training, fostering a positive mindset.

Lopez, who also founded the Shiro taekwondo school – a name symbolizing a woman of courage and achievement – will see her students from Shiro participating in the competition.

She shared her motivation for establishing the school: to make a lasting impact on future generations, guided by her own experiences and the support of her parents and management team at Virtual Playground.

Lopez is determined to pass on her knowledge to aspiring champions, emphasizing that taekwondo is not just about physical skills but also about discipline, both inside and outside the training environment.