A combination of youth and experience make up the 15-man Philippine Karate team that will compete in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on May 12-23 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Aside from Manila SEA Games champions Jamie Lim and Junna Tsukii, Philippine Karate Sports Federation Inc. President Richard Lim said that three Filipino-Japanese teenagers based in Tokyo and Osaka are being groomed by the association to be included in the team that will attempt to surpass two gold, one silver and 9 bronze medal achieved by Karatekas two years ago.
“Right now we’re in full blast as far as training and preparation for the coming SEA Games is concerned. Junna (Tsukii) and three other fellow Japanese-based Fil-Jap are currently training in Osaka and Tokyo. They’re coming to Manila this month to join the team in ‘bubble’ training in Baguio training camp,” Lim said in the Feb. 3 edition of the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) Usapang Sports virtually held via Zoom.
“We’re still evaluating the composition of the whole team. The 15-man line-up (seven women and eight men) is the one approved by the SEAG federation. But we still have 5 slots in Team B as part of the ‘have money, will travel’ approved by the POC. We’re still until March 30 for the final submission of entries by names,” Lim added.
Lim insisted that the team does not yet have an official line-up, but part of the selection basis is the athletes’ past wins in past tournaments, as well as the outcome of the team’s scheduled participation in the Turkey training camp and tournament month before the SEA Games.
The two national wrestlers Lim and Yukii both won silver medals in the women’s Kumite 61 kgs. and 50 kgs. at the Asian Karate Championship this December in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 19-year-old Fil-Japanese Sakura Alforte won two bronzes in Kata and another Fil-Japanese Remon Misu won one bronze.
Another Fil-Japanese who could join the PH Team is Sarah Pangilinan.
“Before the Vietnam SEAG, we’re planning to join the Turkey camp and tournament. It’s just sad and the PSC’s budget now for the SEA Games is limited but we’re looking for sponsorship from the private sector. This training camp is a big thing,” said Lim.
Jamie, the daughter of basketball legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim, stressed that it is very important for the athlete and the team as a whole to be able to train and participate in the international tournament.
“Excited, grabe yung experience namin after the 2019 SEA Games. Very important para sa amin. But right now, focus kami at todo ang ensayo namin dito sa bubble. Mentally, prepared na kami and we’re hoping to play well in the SEAG,” the 21-year Mathematics major Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines and currently rank No.27 in the world said
For Tsukii, her decision to bolt out from the Japanese Team is a blessing in disguise as her childhood dream to make it to the World stage finally came true with an invitation from the World Karate Federation to compete in the prestigious World Games in July.
“My dream is to play on the world stage, in the Olympics. It was a dream come true when I was invited by the International Karate Federation to join the World Games this coming July,” Tsukii, a public school teacher in Tokyo and who is currently No.4 in the WKF rankings.
“Right now, I’m focusing on improving my strategy. Mentally preparedness is very important for us,” the 30-year old karateka added. (PR) – bny
