NILINAW ni Richard Lim, pangulo ng Karate Pilipinas Sports Foundation, Inc., na walang nilabag na karapatan ang asosasyon at ang pagpili ng Team Philippines na isasabak sa 30th Southeast Asian Games ay dumaan sa tamang proseso, masusing pagpili at rekomendasyon ng coaching staff.

“In any international competition, any participating country must engage in a stringent selection process to determine who from a pool of national athletes will represent it. KPI is the NSA that is tasked to make the selection for karate. Part of what comprises this arduous task in the selection is TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE, ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE and ATTITUDE or MINDSET. Like any other selection process, it is always unfortunate that some athletes do not make the cut,” pahayag ni Lim.

“In KPI, the selection process was independently performed by the coaches as they have first hand knowledge on the performances of each and every athlete in the national pool of karatekas. They monitor also the mindset and attitude of the athletes to see how they approach their discipline. These coaches are beyond reproach and qualified in their respective fields. In fact they have been accredited by no other than the Philippine Sports Commission. More on the point, these coaches are likewise accredited by the Asian and World Federations of Karate,” aniya.

Nagbigay ng kanyang saloobin si Lim upang matuldukan ang aniya’y taliwas sa katotohanan na naging pahayag ni James Delos Santos na inalis siya sa National Team upang paboran ang mas bagitong miyembro. Iginiit ni OJ na bronze medalist siya sa nakalipas na edition ng SEAG.

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Sinabi ni Lim na nagdesisyon ang coaching staff batay sa performance ng mga atleta sa nakalipas na dalawang taon o matapos maisaayos ang Karate mula sa kaguluhan bunsod nang korapsyon sa dating liderato ng Philippine Karatedo Federation (PKF) kung saan nakabinbin ang reklamo laban sa dating Sec Gen nito na si Raymund Lee-Reyes.

Batay sa record na inilabas ng KPSFI, bumaba ang performance ni Delos Santos sa nakalipas na dalawang taon kung saan nabigo itong makaalpas sa first round ng mga torneo na nilahukan tulad ng Asian Karate Federation Championship sa Jordan noong Hulyo 11-15 at Asian Games sa Jakarta,Indonesia noong Agosto 2018.

Hindi rin umabot sa second round si Delos Santos sa SEAKF Thailand (April 10-14, 2019), AKF Uzbekistan (July 17, 2019) at WKF SERIES A (Dec 7-9, 2018).

“The SEA Games is getting closer by the day and at this point the pressure is mounting as well. It is even a bigger pressure for us since we are hosting the games and it is for this same reason that we understand the athletes’ lamentations as to why they do not make the cut. Emotions always run high in these kinds of selection processes.

“And based on the outcome of the selection process, these athletes deserve to be given the chance to represent the country in the coming SEA Games and, most importantly, our support,” pahayag ni Lim.

Target ng Team Karate na makapagwagi ng hindi bababa sa limang gintong medalya sa SEA Games.

Pangungunahan ang koponan nina Fil-Japanese Junaa Tsukii (-50kg.), John Paul Bejar (-55kg), Jayson Macaalay (-60kg), Mae Soriano (-55kg), Erica Celine Samonte, Kimverly Madrona, Allison Quiroga, Alwyn Batican at Jamie Lim.