The national pool in karatedo has a new coach.
Turkish karatedo mentor Okay Arpa has taken over the team’s preparations since last week.
Karatedo Pilipinas president Richard Lim said Arpa will handle the team’s training for two international meets for the next six months.
This includes the Asian Championships this July in Uzbekistan, and the 30th Southeast Asian Games towards the end of the year.
Lim said his experience as a renowned physical education instructor back home and his many medals in the European championships, plus his team’s gold-medal finish for Turkey in the 2008 World Championships in Tokyo speak a lot of his capabilities.
“The team has been going through a combination of hard training and the scientific approach at the same time,” said Lim.
Arpa, a consistent medal winner in the +84 kg class, will be choosing from a group of 30 athletes, to be trimmed to 17.
Regular members, including team skipper Eugene Dagohoy, are in the pool.
They also have Juna Tsukii, a former member of the Japanese national team, and will be part of the four-member national squad to the Asiad.
The young Tsukii, a 27-year-old karateka whose mother is a Filipina, will compete in the -50 kilogram division of the kumite, where she ranks among the favorites. She made her debut playing for the national flag in the 29th Southeast Asian Games with a bronze-medal finish.
The other members of the national kumite squad are Ram Macaalay(-60 kgs), Mae Soriano (-68 kgs) and Miyuki Taccay (-68 kgs).
Arpa will also look into new prospects as well.