LIKE in the last Asian Games, Kiyomi Watanabe is capable of pulling off a big surprise in the coming Tokyo Olympics.
Dave Carter, president of the Philippine Judo Federation, said Watanabe winning a medal, much more a first Olympic gold for the country, is very possible given the track record of the 24-year-old Fil-Japanese in the sport.
He cited Watanabe’s silver medal feat in the 2018 Asiad in Jakarta where she came close to winning the gold, but eventually settled for a runner-up finish against Nami Nabekura of Japan in the women’s minus 63kg class.
“Kagaya lang din nu’ng lumaban siya ng Asian Games. It happened. She defeated Korea and the others na nandun sa bracket niya. Kaya anything is possible talaga,” Carter said in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum online edition yesterday.
“Lahat possible. Hindi natin nililimitahan ‘yung kakayanan ng ating manlalaro. Malakas itong player natin na ito, pati ‘yung puso niya. Talagang fighter ito.”
Watanabe clinched a berth in the Tokyo Games via continental quota as certified by the International Judo Federation, becoming the first Filipina judoka to make it to the Olympics, and the third straight Philippine bet in judo to see action in the quadrennial meet after Tomohiko Hoshina and Kodo Nakano in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio De Janeiro editions, respectively.
And the 39th ranked player in the world is wasting no time getting to prepare for the biggest fight of her career.
Watanabe, a four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, is currently in deep training at Waseda University in Japan, where she is currently based, under her sensei Yazaki Yuta, a gold medal winner (-90 kg) in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
Judo action will start on July 24, with Watanabe set to kick off her campaign on the 27th.
“Okay naman si Kiyomi, pero ‘yung coach niya pinapalayo siya sa pressure. Of course, a lot of people want to interview her, and alam ninyo naman medyo shy itong si Kiyomi. At ang style niya pag lalo siyang nape-pressure parang naaapektuhan ang game niya. Mas maganda ‘yung iniiisip niya maglalaro lang siya sa bayan,” Carter said.
