THE Asian Qualification Tournament was held on the 25 and 26 September in Manila, Philippines last year. It was staged to select the two top Asian players in each weight division, who will in turn qualify to compete in the Sydney Olympics to be held in September later this year. In all, 27 nations took part in this event. In response, the Singapore Taekwondo Federation sent an official and two female players to the tournament. The team comprised team manager Lim Teong Chin and players

Wong Liang Ming and Ong Bee Lan. Liang Ming fought her way to the semi-final bout, where she was pitted against Eva Marie Ditan of the Philippines. They were evenly matched until Ditan edged Liang Ming out 2-1 in the third round. Having missed a chance to qualify for a place in the Sydney Olympics, Liang Ming-fought hard for the reserve slot against Kim Eleana of Uzbekistan. She earned it by ousting her opponent 1 - 0. Bee Lan was matched against Jasmine Strachan of the Philippines in the

semi-final after she eliminated the Laos and Bhutan competitors. She lost 1-4. In the contest for the reserve slot, she fell behind at 0-3 to N Sukkhong- dumnoen of Thailand, a 1999 SEA Games gold medallist. The standard of the tournament was very high as only the best in the region competed. Overall, the players have done well. Liang Ming's effort resulted in her being ranked number three in Asia and top 20 in the world. Bee Lan's fourth-placed finish was also commendable.