By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
WHILE a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, is not yet guaranteed for her, Filipino-Japanese karateka Junna Tsukii is in no way deterred by it and still very much focused on seeing her push completed.
Speaking to reporters at the launch last week of sports nutrition brand AminoVital, which she is one of the ambassadors, Ms. Tsukii shared that she is still in the thick of her Olympic push and touted that she has a strong chance of making it to the global sporting spectacle provided things go her way.
“There is a strong chance of me qualifying. I still have to go through the qualifiers but with hard work and determination we will get there,” said Ms. Tsukii, 29.
It will be a busy stretch for the bemedalled karateka beginning this month till April with Olympic qualifying tournaments coming in succession.
Ms. Tsukii, ranked 10th in the World Karatedo Federation list, is to see action in Karate 1 Premier League tournaments in Dubai (Feb. 14–16), Austria (Feb. 29–March 1), Morocco (March 13–15) and Spain (April–19).
Through these tournaments she hopes to gain valuable points to emerge on top of her division in Asia and earn a spot in the Olympic Games. Currently she is number four in Asia.
She is also preparing for the last Olympic qualifier in Paris, France, in May if ever she falls short in her quest to emerge on top in the continent in the prior qualifying tournaments.
Ms. Tsukii recently won two bronze medals in a Premier League competition in Paris.
Prior to that, she won gold at the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippine Sports Commission has vowed to support her in her mission to make it to the Olympic Games.
