PH judoka Kiyomi Watanabe qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
DECEMBER 5, 2019: Philippines’ Kiyomi Watanabe compete during the women’s -63 kg in 30th SEA Games Judo. INQURER PHOTO/ Sherwin Vardeleon
MANILA, Philippines—Judoka Kiyomi Watanabe officially clinched her spot in the Philippine contingency that will go to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 24-year-old was granted qualification via continental quota in the women’s -63kg division as per the official qualification of the International Judo Federation.
Asia was given two continental quotas for the -63kg division with Uzbekistan’s Farangiz Khojieva.
Watanabe is the no.41 judoka in her weight class with 1,506 points.
Among Watanabe’s recent accomplishments are a silver medal in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and a gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila.
As of writing time, there are 18 qualifiers in Watanabe’s weight class who got through based on their world rankings and seven via continental quotas.
Other Filipinos who qualified for Tokyo are boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, and Carlo Paalam, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando, golfer Juvic Pagunasan, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, runner Kristina Marie Knott, and shooter Jayson Valdez.
