Potential 2020 Olympian nets gold in Africa

ORENCIO James Delos Santos has shown great potential as a possible medal performer for the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Delos Santos won the gold medal anew in the men’s kata event of the 3rd International Shotokan Karate Federation World Shoto Cup on Sunday at Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa.

Delos Santos, accompanied by his father David, ruled the same event in 2012 in Cebu City.

Only recently, karatedo and its two events—kata and kumite—were included by the International Olympic Committee as a regular sport in the 2020 Summer Games.

“With the way he’s been performing, OJ has a strong chance to qualify in the Olympics,” said Raymund Lee Reyes, secretary general of the Philippine Karatedo Federation.

Delos Santos impressed the six judges and one referee with his signature Unsu kata performance or cloud dance to earn 42.5 points.

Australians Adam Pearce (41.7) and Ben Skennar (41.7) settled for the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the 18-44 adult category of the quadrennial global meet.

The lone Asian entry, Delos Santos  and seven others qualified in the finals.  The field was composed of 66 karatekas from 12 countries, most of them coming from Europe and America. 

He was a bronze medalist in the 2011 Palembang Southeast Asian Games.  June Navarro