ALTHOUGH fit anew to represent the country internationally, top Filipino-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe might miss the 32nd Southeast Asian Games if Cambodian hosts have their way, according to judo secretary Dave Carter.
“The Cambodian organizers want to drop the women’s 63-kilogram division event in judo where Watanabe regularly competes,” Carter said of the weight class where the judoka has been untouchable since the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.
The Tokyo Olympic veteran has won four gold medals in a row in the weight class, the last in the 2019 Philippine Games before she skipped the Vietnam edition last May due to an injury.
“I have been informed that Kiyomi is now fit so is training hard and would want to compete in the Cambodia SEA Games,” said judo president Ali Sulit during last week’s 8th PSC Women’s Martial Arts Festival.
“Her presence would certainly be a big boost in our campaign since we want to surpass our medal haul in Vietnam,” said Sulit, referring to the two gold, four silver and four bronze medals the national judokas garnered in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi last May.
Not if the Cambodian hosts can help it, according to Carter, who as Judio Union of Asia sports director has kept in touch with them on a regular basis and will likely be the tournament director of the Cambodia Games.
“As of now, it is still 50-50 if Kiyomi might be able to compete in the next SEA Games, but we will see,” said Carter, who, together with Sulit, remained bullish about the country’s judo prospects in the next regional sportsfest.
Both pointed to the performances of local judokas Daryl John Honrada Mercado, John Viron Ferrer and Khrizzie Pabulayan Mamero, who bagged silvers in the Vietnam Games, losing to hometown opposition in their respective events.
“Now that we have a longer time for training, I believe even our home-grown judokas will be more competitive in the Cambodian SEA Games,” Sulit stressed.
He expects Shugen Nakano and Rena Furukawa to return and defend their titles in the men’s 66kg and women’s 57kg divisions, respectively, in the 32nd SEA Games that will be held from May 5 to 16, 2023 in the Cambodian capital of Hanoi and the northwestern city of Siem Reap.
