PH Karate bets need to train now

Karate Pilipinas (KP) recognizes the pressing need for its athletes to go back into training to have an even chance at qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

KP president Richard Lim expressed concern that karatekas from other countries have already resumed their respective buildups and he doesn’t want Philippine Olympic hopefuls Jamie Lim, Junna Tsukii and Joane Orbon to be left behind.

“First things first, they should undergo rapid testing. If everybody is cleared, we can start training together,” Lim said.

Tsukii seized the gold medal in the women’s -50-kilogram kumite during the 30th Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines last year while Lim, daughter of Philippine Basketball Association legend Samboy Lim, ruled the women’s +61-kg. Orbon got a bronze medal in the -61-kg category.

According to the local karatedo chief, plans are afoot to house their athletes once the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases issues the go signal for them to resume activities.

“We will do outdoor training first, before slowly picking up. Other countries have already begun training, so we should keep up with that,” Lim said.

Karatedo and track and field form part of the seven sports that are appealing before the IATF to return to the training ground on a trial basis for one month under strict health protocols.

Joining the appeal are basketball, volleyball, football, gymnastics and rugby, all of them still prohibited from springing back to action along with all contact sports.Lim said most of their athletes, especially those who are vying for spots in the Olympics, are raring to get back into training and rediscover their reaction, timing and distancing during sparring. INQ