Jamie Lim reclaims karate gold in SEA Games 2023

FILE–Filipino karateka Jamie Lim.—PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE LIM

PHNOM PENH—Jamie Lim aggressively fought her way for the gold medal, defeating Cambodia’s Vann Chakriya, 3-1, in karate before a wildly cheering home crowd at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

Lim reclaimed the women’s kumite 61kg and redeemed herself after bowing out early in the Hanoi SEA Games last year.

“I was the 2019 champion, but it was a long time ago. It feels good to win it again,’’ said Lim, who paused from her masteral studies at Imperial College in London to compete in the Games.

The 2021 Asian championship silver medalist dominated Vietnamese Thi Ngoan Nguyen in the quarterfinals, 5-0, and got the better of Malaysia’s Siti Nur Azwani Nor, 6-3, to arrange the titular duel with Chakriya.

“She (Nguyen) eliminated me last year, so I returned the favor. I was alone in London while preparing for this. There were times that I cried because of the difficulties that I encountered,’’ said Lim, the daughter of PBA great Samboy Lim.

This is the second gold in karate after Sakura Alforte’s victory in women’s individual kata on Saturday.

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Inquirer’s special coverage of the Cambodia SEA Games 2023.