CAGAYAN de Oro City — Young karatekas from the Bukidnon Martial Arts and Defense Academy (BMDA) returned from Malaybalay City with 36 medals, including nine golds, 13 silvers and 14 bronzes.
The haul came at the inaugural Malaybalay City Karatedo Championship, giving BMDA athletes a strong showing across youth and senior divisions.
For BMDA founder and head Sensei Michael Pabillore, the medals reflected months of consistent training and preparation.
“Bringing home 36 medals ... reflects not only individual talent but also the collective effort of the entire team,” Pabillore said.
He said the team worked not only on physical conditioning and karate skills but also on confidence, focus and mental preparation.
Among the gold medalists was senior male kumite competitor Ethan Jeade P. Leo, who topped the under-67-kilogram division.
Leo said staying focused despite the pressure helped him perform on the tatami.
Double gold medalist Gabrielle Q. Balquedra also overcame pre-match nerves to win in both the boys’ 10-11 advanced kumite and beginners kata divisions.
“I just thought about our training and what Sensei Michael taught us,” Balquedra said.
Under-14 female kumite gold medalist Leirian Gabrielle Obsioma credited Pabillore’s guidance for helping her improve both as an athlete and as a person.
She said her coach constantly reminded the athletes to stay firm on the tatami, avoid discouragement and trust their training.
Other BMDA gold medalists were Erle Matthew Redoble, Caleb Bacay, Jeiro Ortega, Kevin Calipayan and Crischia Okit.
Pabillore said the successful staging of the first Malaybalay championship also showed the growing interest in karatedo in Bukidnon, with athletes, coaches, parents and supporters helping build the sport.
BMDA now hopes to bring its athletes to bigger regional and national competitions, with international events as a long-term goal.
But for Pabillore, medals are only part of the mission.
He said the academy wants its athletes to carry the values of karatedo—discipline, respect, perseverance, humility and determination—both inside and outside the gym.
