SEA Games-bound Alforte wins karate gold in Spain tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Sakura Alforte struck gold in the women’s individual kata in the Karate 1 Youth League A in Coruna, Spain recently as part of her preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games set May 5-17 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Alforte bested Lanyfer Minano, a Switzerland-representing karateka who has Filipino roots, 26-24.7, to snare the mint that should give the former confidence as she shoots for a gold in the biennial event.

It was another triumph for Alforte, who also topped the Southeast Asian Championship the country hosted in Manila a month ago.

“This is very important because she is competing in the SEA Games,” said Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim.

Lim said Alforte should be one of the country’s best bets in the sport as they gun to make up for their heartbreak in last year’s Hanoi Games where they wound up without a gold and with just eight bronzes.

Apart from Alforte, World Games gold winner and world No. 3 Junna Tsukii and World Championship veteran and SEA Games gold medalist Jamie Lim will spearhead the country’s campaign in the Cambodian capital.

Also in the squad were Arianne Isabel Brito, Remon Misu, Maryanne Matthew Manantan, John Kyle Tabilog, klwyn Batican, Prince Izmen, Louis Alejo and Kim Masayuki Torres.

The national team, coached by Turkish Levent Aydemir, has trained in Istanbul, Turkey to prepare for the Phnom Penh tilt.