25th title ni De Los Santos, Guinness World record holder na

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | December 2, 2020

Itinuturing ni Filipino online karateka sensation Orencio James De Los Santos na isang malaking karangalan ang mapanalunan ang ika-25th titulo nito laban sa pambato ng Hungary na si Botond Nagy na isang dekalibreng karateka sa kanilang bansa.

Dinaig ng 30-anyos na dating National Team member ang kasalukuyang Guinness World record holder na si Nagy ng gawin nito ang pinakamabilis na roundhouse kicks sa karate sa buong mundo sa oras na 0.476 segundo. Pasok din ito sa 34th place sa Olympic ranking at patuloy na susubok na makapasok sa Summer Olympic Games na nakatakdang ganapin simula Hulyo 23-Agosto 8 sa Tokyo, Japan. “It was a very meaningful 25th Gold medal win for me because my final opponent, Nagy Botond, is Hungary’s best kata player. He is no. 34 in the Olympic Ranking and a Guinness World Record holder. It was a tough fight, and an honor for me to face a kata player of such caliber,” pahayag ni De Los Santos sa panayam ng Bulgar sa online interview. “You can say that he’s the Olympic hopeful for Hungary,” dagdag ng De La Salle University graduate sa paghanga sa Hungarian karateka.

Dinaig ni De Los Santos ang 26-anyos na masasabing pinakamahusay na kata player ng Hungary sa madikitang laban na 24.9-24-5 sa finals ng Katana Intercontinental Karate League E-Tournament #4 E-Kata Seniors male 16-years and older Top 8. Bago rito ay tinalo niya sa round 1 si Cornelius Johnsen ng Norway, kasunod si Nejc Sternisa ng Slovenia sa round 2, habang tinalo ni Nagy sina Alfredo Bustamante ng U.S. at Silvio Cerone-Biagioni ng South Africa.

“I’m very sure he is, since he’s at the top 40 for the Olympic Rankings. And he’s the best senior male kata player for Hungary,” wika ni De Los Santos nang matanong ang tsansa ni Nagy na makapasok sa Olympics sa susunod na taon.

Ito na ang unang titulo ng 6th-time Philippine National Games champion ngayong buwan ng Disyembre kasunod ng 5-sunod na titulo sa Nobyembre na tinapos ng panalo sa prestihiyosong 5th edition ng SportData eTournament World Series, at ang mga tagumpay sa Golden League Karate E-Tournament #3, E-Champions Trophy World Series 2, Okinawa, Nox Dojo Markham City Open eTournament at Athlete’s E-Tournament #2.

SEAG Karate champ Tsukii, 1st place sa Serbian Tourney

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.

Olympian Diaz, magreretiro kapag naka-gold sa Olympics

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 30, 2020

Tila nagpaparamdam na si 2016 Rio Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz na maaaring huling beses na itong sasalang bilang atleta sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics sa susunod na taon.

Naghahanap ng kanyang ikaapat na pagtuntong sa prestihiyosong Summer Olympic Games ang 29-anyos na Zamboanga City-native na dalawang beses naunsyami ang Olympic Qualifying event sa 2020 Asian Championship sa Kazakhstan, na kalauna’y inilipat sa Uzbekistan, ngunit dahil sa pananalasa ng novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic ay tuluyan na itong nakansela. Nauna ng nagpartisipa ang 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games champion sa 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, at 2016 Rio; at maaaring maging huling salta na ni Diaz sakaling palarin sa Tokyo.

“I hope so. Because I need life after sports. I don’t know what my body will say… 'Oh, you need to rest. Your body cannot do it anymore'. As you age, you lose your ability for heavy lifting,” pahayag ni Diaz sa panayam ng Olympicchannel.com.

Gayunpaman, bago nito tuluyang ilapag ang mga nagbibigatang barbell plates at bars, pipiliting masiguro muna ng Zamboangena weightlifter na makamit ang kauna-unahang gintong medalya ng Pilipinas sa Summer Olympic Games. Tiwala itong kaya niyang higitan ang nakamit na medalya sa Rio Games at talunin ang mga hadlang sa kanyang pangarap na gintong medalya na sina 2-time Olympic (2012 London at 2016 Rio) champion Ching Hsu Shu ng Chinese Taipei, Chinese weightlifters Liao Qiuyon, Zhang Wanquiong, at Li Yajun, 2018 Asian Games opponents Kristina Sermetowa ng Turkmenistan at Surodchana Khambao ng Thailand at SEAG runner up Nguyen Thi Tuy ng Vietnam.

“I'm still continuing this journey towards the Olympics because I believe that I can win. I believe that God has a plan for me that I believe that I will win at the Olympic Games for the Philippines,” saad ni Diaz.

Malaki ang paniniwala ng 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion na makapagbigay pa ito ng inspirasyon sa lahat ng mga Filipinos sa pagpapakita ng matinding sakripisyo at paninindigan sa pagsasanay para sa bayan.

“Everyone who competes in the Olympics wants to win a medal, but when I won silver I realised that I had become a public figure. Everyone was looking at me, and I realised that I have a responsibility to the Filipinos, and to be a good influence. So that's the power of being an Olympic medallist. You have the ability to influence the younger generation,” wika ng 3-time bronze medalist sa World Championships.

Susubukan ni Diaz na masamahan sa Olympiad na nauna ng nakakuha ng ticket sina pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” Obiena, Carlos “Caloy” Yulo ng Gymnastics at boxers Eumir Felix Marcial at Irish Magno ng women’s flyweight, habang aasa rin ang iba pang mga atleta kagaya nina 2018 Asian Palembang skateboard champion Margielyn Didal, 4-time SEA Games gold medalist judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, 2019 World amateur featherweight champion Nesthy Petecio at iba pang mga atletang aabot sa mahigit 80 na susubok na makapasa sa pagbubukas ng iba’t ibang Olympic Qualifying tournaments sa susunod na taon.

“It would be a symbol of God and a symbol of my sacrifices in training and the people behind me. It’s also a symbol Filipinos can make it. We can win the gold medal at the Olympics. There's no doubt about it, we can win. It's inspirational for younger generations.”