Watanabe cops bronze in Asian Open

THREE- TIME Southeast Asian Games champion Kiyomi Watanabe bagged a bronze medal in the 2017 Asian Open Judo Championships held at the Tin Shui Wai Sports Center in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

The 21-year old Filipino-Japanese judoka overpowered Maeve Coughlan of Australia in the battle- forbronze match to secure a podium the Judo Union of Asia and International Judo Federation.

In the elimination round, Watanabe outclassed Cheung Wing Laam of Hong Kong in the second round to top the Pool A of the top- seeded Philippine bet earned an opening- round bye.

But Watanabe lost to Futuba Suzuki of Japan in the semifinals and was relegated to the bronze medal match against Coughlan.

“Her bronze- medal finish is already a big boost to improve her ranking in the International Judo Federation. She needs more points to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and we’re happy that the Philippine Sports Commission is supporting her bid to qualify for the Olympics,” said Kiyomi’s mother Irene Watanabe, who also serves a her mentor.

It was Watanabe’s this year.

Watanabe won a gold in the Asian Open Women’s Judo Championship in Taiwan in July, silver in the European Open Women’s Judo Championship in Austria in fifth medal February, and a bronze in the 2017 World Judo Tour— Paris Grand Slam in France also in February.

Watanabe completed a threepeat in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August.

Filipino- Japanese Megumi Kurayoshi ( women’s 57 kgs.), Al Rolan Llamas and Sean Levyn Pan Nakano ( men’s 73 kgs.), Jenielou Kohei Kohagura ( men’s 81 kgs.) failed to make a podium finish in their weight classes.

Watanabe will be competing next in the 2017 Masters St. Petersburg to be held on December