Samboy's girl shines in karate

PBA legend Samboy Lim’s daughter Jamie Christine is skywalking her way to stardom in karate and with the sport looming to be included in the 2020 Olympic program, it’s possible the 5-7 Immaculate Conception high school sophomore could mature to become a contender in Rio de Janeiro.

Lim, 15, recently stamped her class as a kata and kumite specialist by capturing a double gold at the International Karatedo Junior, Cadet and Children Games in Busan. While double golds are rare in karate, Lim has made it a habit to accomplish the feat – two years ago, she also topped the kata and kumite events at the Korea Open.

In Busan, Lim went through the wringer in carving out a 3-2 hairline decision over Korea’s Kim Hyun Byul for the gold in the 47+kilogram cadet female kumite. The match was close from start to finish with both protagonists exchanging punches and kicks but the judges were extremely selective in scoring points. With time winding down and Kim holding a 2-0 edge, Lim never lost her composure. She unleashed a hook kick and connected with 11 seconds to go. The four judges awarded three points for the kick as Lim bagged the gold in a dramatic escape act.

Lim had no difficulty disposing of Iran’s Ghazal Naderi in the semifinals. She ran up a score of 9-1 and the match was stopped with 45 seconds left. Under karate rules, the match is halted when the advantage is up to at least eight points. The win set up the showdown with Kim.

Lim was also untouchable in the 14-15 year-old cadet kata. She defeated Naderi in the semifinals and another Iranian Faezeh Chizari in the finals. Lim was the only Filipino athlete to pocket a double gold in the two-day competition that brought in 30 teams from 15 countries. The Philippines was represented by the National Team and the AAK (Advancement of Karate-do) delegation headed by Shihan Manuel Veguillas and Richard Lim. The AAK squad was made up of 15 athletes and tied with Iran for third overall in the medal standings behind Russia and Hong Kong. Russia showed up with 60 competitors. The Philippine National Team wound up sixth.

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The AAK delegation took three gold, two silver and seven bronze medals. Aside from Lim, the other AAK gold medalist was La Salle Green Hills’ Alenn Gabriel Macapagal Castro in the -52 kilogram cadet kumite. The AAK karatekas were coached by Rex Resurrecion and Norman Montalvo.

Lim said her dream is to someday compete for the Philippines in the Olympics. “I hope for karate-do to be an Olympic sport soon,” she said. “I read that there is high hope for that in 2020. I dream of having that chance to qualify for the regionals then to join the Olympics for our country. That is big but I could take all the small steps to reach that dream.”

Besides excelling in sports, Lim is an outstanding student at the Immaculate Conception Academy in Green Hills. She was in the top 10 of her freshman class last year and this school term, made it to the Advanced Math Class and Advanced Science Class. Lim is also a member of the ICA dance troupe and once attended her father’s Skywalker basketball camp.

“I’m so proud, happy and lucky to have a daughter with a great attitude,” said Lim’s father Samboy, the PBA’s one and only Skywalker. “I’m so blessed to have a wonderful daughter. I wish her all the best in life. And for all the achievements she accomplished at an early age, she deserves it all because she worked so hard for it. I want her to enjoy her life and I will support her in all her endeavors in life.”

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Lim’s mother Lelen, a lawyer and the Pag-Ibig Fund CEO, said: “I’m very proud of how Jamie has committed herself to karate-do, a sport that she has trained in for 10 years now under AAK. To see a child have that focus and dedication to something that gives her bruises and injuries in practice and that takes her away from malling or playing is something that keeps me, Samboy and the whole family in awe. As for now, she is a 2nd class brown belter and she hopes to continue on training even if she is in second year high school now which is more demanding academically. Despite that, she does very well in school, especially excelling in math and science. She aspires to be in the Philippine National Team of karate-do so she could get full government recognition and officially represent our country.”

Lim’s mother said joining the National Team will open doors for her daughter. “There are competitions that only the National Team recognized by the Philippine Karate Federation is allowed to join and that would definitely fulfill that yet unfilled spot in Jamie’s dreams,” she said. “But most of all, I am proud at how a solo child, lavished with all our attention and love, could be so level-headed, grounded, hard-working, kind-hearted and humble. That is what makes her a very beautiful person.”

At the Southeast Asian Games last year, the Philippines collected a silver and six bronzes. The silver came from the men’s team in kumite while three of the six bronzes were delivered by the women’s team in kumite, Erica Celin Samonte in the 50 kilogram-below kumite and Mae Soriano in the 55 kilogram-below kumite. The Philippines sent four athletes in karate at the last Asian Games but none produced a medal.

 Lim has now collected 13 gold medals in international karate tournaments since her first kumite championship in the Philippines-Japan Invitationals at the SM Mall of Asia in 2008. She has taken 47 golds, 14 silvers and nine bronzes in Philippine karate competitions.