PHNOM, PENH—Filipino-Japanese Sakura Ben Alforte won gold in her Southeast Asian Games debut on Saturday while Junna Tsukii yielded in her match no thanks to a referee’s decision in 32nd Southeast Asian Games karate.
Cheered by a few Filipino fans and her teammates at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall A, Alforte, a 20-year-old junior world championships bronze medalist, topped the women’s individual kata with a 40.8 score.
Vietnam’s Phuong Nguyen Thi settled for the silver with 40.2 with Yhailand’s Monsicha Sakulrattanatara and Indonesia’s Krisda Putri Aprilia taking a bronze medal each.
“I’m really happy that everything I worked hard for ended huge in my favor. It’s my first ever gold medal,” Alforte said. “It’s time to shine now so I will work hard again to dominate Asian Games [Hangzhou in September] as well.”
In the men’s individual kata,
Joco Vasquez, meanwhile, settled for the bronze medal in men’s individual kata.
Tsukii, the 31-year-old 2022 Birmingham World Games gold medalist, settled for the silver medal in a controversial women’s -50 kgs kumite final against Chandran Shamalarani which ended 2-3 in the Malaysian’s favor.
“I cannot understand the judges and the referee why they gave the decision to her,” Tsukii said. “She fell when I pressed her down and she didn’t attack that’s why I was really surprised with the decision.”
“I’m sorry this is not the color of the medal that we wanted but that’s it,” she added.
Tsukii, the 2019 SEA Games gold medalist in Manila, beat Cambodian Pheachon Srey, 7-1, in the quarterfinals before crushing Vietnamese Thi Nguyen Thi, 2-1, in the semifinals.
Tsukii could redeem herself on Wednesday in the women’s team kumite event.
Image credits: Roy Domingo