ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | December 1, 2020
Patuloy sa pamamayagpag sa isinasagawang training sa bansang Serbia si 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Junna Tsukii kasunod ng matagumpay na 1st place finish sa naganap na Karate training camp championship Tournament nitong nagdaang Sabado.
Napagwagian ng 29-anyos na Filipino-Japanese karateka ang women’s 55kgs category laban sa lima pang katunggali kabilang na si World No. 6 Valeria Kumizaki ng Brazil.
Nagsumite ng panalo ang 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games under-50kgs bronze medalists’ ng mga panalo sa first round sa iskor na 6-0; 2nd round 8-0; 3rd round 3-0; 4th round 3-0 at final round na 1-1.
Mula sa imbitasyon na magsanay sa Serbia kasama ang mga pinakamahuhusay na karateka mula Brazil, Switzerland, Slovakia at Croatia, lumipad mag-isa patungong Serbia ang Filipino-Japanese upang hasain pa ang kaalaman laban sa mga high-level opponents. Orihinal na sumasalang sa under-50kgs ang Pinay karateka, kinailangang mag-adjust ni Tsukii na sumabak sa women’s under-55-kgs dahil ito lang ang pinakamababang timbang na inilagay para sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“I had a competition in Serbia. My original class is -50kg, but this time I played in a category -55kg. It's the same class that takes place at the Olympics. I had 5 matches and I was able to be 1st place in that category. I really feel the results of training the month in here. I'm ready for next year in the best condition!!! I would like to thank everyone who supported me,” pahayag ni Tsukii sa kanyang social medial account.
Inihayag ni Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Inc. (KPSFI) President Richard Lim na sumabak si Tsukii sa isang mala-Olympic qualifying championship tournament na mayroong round-robin na istilo na may pinagsama-samang kabuuang resulta. Naging mahigpit umano ang Europa sa pagpapasok ng mga ibang atleta sa ibang bansa dahil na rin sa nananatiling pag-iingat sa mapaminsalang novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
“She is just alone there and train for a month and return back again to Japan after,” wika ni Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Inc. (KPSFI) President Richard Lim sa panayam ng Bulgar sa online interview. “Mostly Serbian national team and other athletes were scheduled to come from Switzerland, Slovakia and Croatia. But now Europe has border restrictions and players from other countries can't enter,” saad ni Lim.