A combination of youth and experience comprise the 15-man Philippine Karate Team that will compete in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on May 12 to 23 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Philippine Karate Sports Federation Inc. president Richard Lim said that in addition to Manila SEA Games champions Jamie Lim and Junna Yuki, 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 the two-gold, one-silver and 9-bronze medal haul by Karatekas three 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 told Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports Usapang Sports on Wednesday 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 still have until March 30 for the final submission of entries by names,” Lim said at the weekly sports forum sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusements Board and PAGCOR.
The two national karatekas Lim and Yukii both bagged silver medals in the women’s Kumite 61 kgs. and 50 kgs., respectively, at the Asian Karate Championship this December in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 19-year-old Fil-Japanase Sakura Alforte took two bronzes in Kata and another Fil-Japanese in Remon Misu bagged a bronze. Another Fil-Jap who could possibly join the RP Team is Sarah Pangilinan.
“Before the Vietnam SEAG, we’re planning to join the Turkey camp and tournament. It’s just sad that 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.