Japinay makes PHL judo team for SEA Games

CEBU, Philippines - A 15-year-old Fil-Japanese girl has made it to the Philippine judo team for the Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta this November.

This was bared by lawyer Vicente Fernandez II, executive vice president of the Philippine Judo Federation.

Kiyome Watanabe, who was born in Cebu in August 1996, was recently in the country with her mother Irene Sarausad Watanabe, who hails from Toledo City.

The two went on a side trip to Manila to join the practice sessions of the Philippine team where Kiyome was also assessed by the coaches.

She was first spotted by the Philippine team coaches during the recent Tokyo Sports Exchange Program where among the delegates was the second son of Fernandez, Joaquin.

It was in that event in Tokyo where Kiyome met national coach Roland Llamas, who immediately expressed interest to get her for the Philippine team.

In her most recent tournament that had 45 players competing for honors in the -70 kilograms category from several provinces in Japan, Kiyome took the silver medal.

She is a student of the Aihara Junior High School in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is the number school judo team of Japan for the past nine years.

Irene said that her daughter used to be a volleyball player, but later decided to concentrate on judo. Kiyome first took up judo as part of her physical education classes at the age of 10.

It did not take long for her to make her mark in the sport, which was developed by Japanese Jigoro Kano at the turn of the 20th century.

After winning in the grade school level in Yamanashi Prefecture where the Watanabe family lives, Kiyome was recruited by Aihara Junior High School and brought to Kanagawa.

Her mother said that at an early age, Kiyome has lived away from them to study in a school and train in judo.

Kiyome said that being a member of the Philippine team to the SEA Games is a part of her development as a player. Her goal is to play in the Olympics someday.

Irene, who is a self-confessed sports fan, said that although she knows that her daughter is doing something that she likes, she sometimes worry about the tough training that she goes through.

Kiyome was born at the Cebu Doctors’ Hospital and studied at St. Paul Learning Center and also spent a few months at Labogon Elementary School in Mandaue City before her family moved to Japan.

Her father, Shigeru, is also a judoka and holds a brown belt. Her elder brother, Minato, who is now 17 years old, used to play judo but now dabbles in painting, said their mother.

The youngest in the brood of three, ten-year-old Masaki is now into judo and is currently ranked third in his weight class among the boys of the Yamanashi Prefecture. - THE FREEMAN