Lim expects karate surprises

Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation president Ricky Lim said yesterday he expects kumite specialists Junna Tsukii and Jamie Lim to strike gold at the Hanoi SEA Games, adding the national team of 18 karatekas will pull “a few surprises” during the competition at the Ninh Binh Arena on May 18-20. Lim is now in Hanoi with the POC/PSC delegation staying at the Hyatt Hotel headquarters. The karatekas leave Manila for Vietnam on Sunday.

The Philippines collected two golds, one silver and nine bronzes at the 2019 SEA Games where there were 13 golds at stake. In Hanoi, 15 golds will be up for grabs as organizers added team kumite for men and women. The national team, made up of 11 men and seven women, will compete in 14 events, declining the +68 in women’s kumite. In kata, the competitors are Joco Vasquez, Jeremy Nopre, Rebecca Torres, Nicole Dantes, Sarah Pangilinan, Naoki Alforte and Felix Calipusan. Vasquez and Torres will be in individual events. The others will be in team events. Torres is entered in both individual and team. In individual kumite, the women are Tsukii (-50 kg), Mae Soriano (-55 kg), Lim (-61 kg) and Remon Misu (-68 kg) while the men are Jayson Macaalay (-60 kg), John Manantan (-67 kg), Prince Alejo (-76 kg) and Ivan Agustin (-84 kg). Additionally, Alwyn Batican, Oliver Manalac and Eugene Dagohoy will battle in team men’s kumite.

Lim said team kumite is a tricky affair because it’s an open weight competition. “You fight depending on what order you put down,” he said. “For men, it’s 1-5 players and for women, 1-3. So it’s 1 against 1, 2 against 2 and so on. Medyo swerte din at diskarte ng coach. Normally, other nations bring separate players and all big ones for the team event but since we’re on a limited budget, we just use the same players in individual events.”

Missing in the lineup are two 2019 medalists – Joane Orbon who claimed a bronze in -61 kg women’s kumite and Norman Montalvo who took the silver in -55 kg men’s kumite. “Joane is not fully committed now because of work so we had to decide and drop her but we have Remon, the Fil-Japanese who won bronze in the recent Asian championships,” said Lim. “As for Norman, he is now a full-time strength and conditioning coach.” Coach Okay Arpa of Turkey said he’s targeting at least three golds. The pressure is on Tsukii and Lim to show the way. Tsukii, 30, is ranked No. 4 and Lim, 24, No. 21 in the world in their weight divisions. The team is now training in a bubble at the Joy Nostalg Hotel and Suites on Ortigas, Pasig.