TACAY siblings Rexor and Miyuki of Davao City snatched silver medals as Team Philippines hauled a total of one gold medal, three silvers and four bronzes in the recently-concluded 2019 Amatör Spor Haftasi Karate Championship in Sakarya, Turkey.
The 27-year-old Rexor lost the championship match in the senior male -67 kilograms kumite division yet he was still elated having delivered his first individual silver. He was sidelined for quite some time following his quarterfinals injury in the Philippine National Games (PNG) 2018 in Cebu City.
“Lipay kaayo ko Maam kay kani akong unang medal individual sa international since post operation nako ug nagkaresult na jud akong training. Wala pa ko nakontento sa akong dula mao tuloy-tuloy gihapon akong training aron 100 percent condition ko sa sunod nga dula (I’m so happy because this is my first international individual medal after my surgery, my training bore fruit. I am not contented though that’s why I’ll keep training so I can be 100 percent ready for the next tournament),” he said in a Facebook interview with Sun.Star Davao.
He absorbed a 4-3 defeat in the final.
Last month, Rexor helped the Philippines’ men’s national team win a gold in the kumite team event in the Turkish Open Grand Prix Karate in Istanbul, Turkey. The champion team was also composed of Sharief Afif, Ivan Agustin, Engene Dagohoy and Oliver Mañalac.
Miyuki, 22, meanwhile, bowed to Ozlem Hasturk of Bursa, Turkey in their senior female -61kgs kumite titular showdown.
She said Hasturk scored at first, “pero humabol po ako hanggang sa lumamang po ko 4-3”.
Just when she thought she won, the Turkish karateka scored again.
“I thought I already won po kasi tapos na yung time but after the referee stopped the fight she attacked again then two judges nagbigay ng score after the time then our score was 4-4,” the Dabawenya said in a separate interview.
Hasturk, however, clinched the gold via senshu (the one who scored first)
Miyuki added,” It was a close fight.”
She along with her teammates salvaged a kumite team bronze in the Turkish Open Grand Prix Karate.
Meanwhile, Jamie Berberabe Lim, daughter of former Pag-ibig fund CEO Darlene Berberabe and Philippine basketball legend Samboy Lim, captured a gold in senior female -68 kgs kumite.
The other medalists were Ivan Agustin (senior male -75kgs kumite silver), Mae Soriano (senior female -55kgs kumite bronze), Engene Dagohoy (senior male -84kgs kumite bronze), Prince Alejo (senior male -67kgs kumite bronze) and Sharief Afif (senior male -75kgs kumite bronze).
The national karatedo team of former European and World Champion and Former Turkish national team coach Okay Arpa is wrapping up its two-month training camp in Turkey as part of its preparations for the 30th Southeast Asian Games on November 30 to December 11.