The Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) and MILO are running the 2026 MILO National Taekwondo Championships this October, bringing together roughly 3,500 young athletes from 20 regions and the National Capital Region. It's one of the biggest grassroots tournaments on the Philippine taekwondo calendar, and it's happening in Metro Manila this week and next.
Dates and Venue
- Kyorugi (sparring): October 3–4, 2026
- Poomsae (forms): October 11, 2026
- Venue: Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Manila
Full event details, including kyorugi and poomsae registration, are on the PTA's official event pages.
Who's Competing
Kyorugi divisions run Toddler, Grade School, Cadet, and Junior, for both boys and girls, each split into Novice and Advanced levels — so a first-time competitor and a seasoned one aren't matched against each other. Poomsae follows the PTA's standard age and rank divisions. Athletes come from PTA-affiliated clubs and chapters nationwide, representing nearly every region in the country.
Why the Tournament Matters
The PTA's involvement runs deep — the association's leadership, including Grandmaster Hong, has guided its development for five decades. Tournaments at this scale exist to support exactly that kind of long-term development: give young athletes in every region a real, structured competition to train toward, not just a once-a-year trophy. For a lot of kids, a national-level novice division is their very first tournament.
If You Want to Watch
If your child trains in taekwondo — whether competitively or not — watching a tournament like this in person is worth the trip. Seeing athletes their own age compete, win, lose, and bow to each other afterward tends to land harder than anything a coach can say in class. Kyorugi runs October 3–4, poomsae on October 11, both at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Thinking About Competition for Your Child?
Tournaments like this one are part of what a competitive taekwondo track can look like. If you're weighing whether your child is ready to compete — or whether they need to compete at all — our post on does my child have to compete in taekwondo walks through the signs either way. Competition is always optional at Grit & Glory; students who'd rather not compete follow the same curriculum and earn the same belts.
Book a free trial class at any of our three branches in Taguig and Parañaque to start the journey, wherever it leads.
Source: Philippine Taekwondo Association event pages for kyorugi and poomsae; additional details from Tribune: "National taekwondo tourney kicks off", September 30, 2026.
