By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina-Japanese karateka Junna Tsukii and four other members of team PH are set to compete in the upcoming 2021 World Karate Championships to be held in Dubai next month.
Tsukii, who recently earned her best world ranking at no. 2, will be backstopped by Jamie Lim, Sarah Pangilinan, and Joco Vasquez in the prestigious tournament.
Lim was a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist while Pangilinan and Vasquez are two of the highest-ranked karatekas in the country.
The 30-year-old Tsukii will be participating in her staple event which is the kumite 50-kg category where she won the gold during the last SEA Games and a third-place finish during the 2018 Asian Games.
“We really try to send who we feel has the greater chance of winning, for now, kasi eventually we have to expose everybody,” said Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation president Richard Lim.
As of now, Lim and Vasquez are training under a bubble set-up located in Baguio City under the tutelage of coach Okay Arpa from Turkey.
On the other hand, Tsukii and Pangilinan are in Serbia and Japan, respectively, for their own training camps.
“This is the highest form of championship, so we’re really sending the best para siguraduhin na merong patutunguhan yung pinaghihirapan naming,” added Lim.
