By MARK REY MONTEJO
Former Southeast Asian Games karate champion Junna Tsukii out to launch her new career – mixed martial arts – in style as she battles Japanese Ruka Sakamoto in 2024 Deep Jewels Summer Festival in Odaiba, Japan on Aug. 31.
This, after Tsukii announced her retirement on her lengthy social media post, noting she will move on to the next chapter as she aims to explore more in life.
The 32-year-old SEA Games multi-medalist tussles with her fellow mixed martial arts debutant Sakamoto in the women’s -54kg category of the MMA festival which also features local and foreign talents. The bout has two rounds with five minutes each.
Tsukii shared some glimpse of her training on her social media story.
Tsukii, a former Takushoku University standout, concluded her 26-year career in karate where she brought home myriad accolades and citations including her gold in 2022 World Games in Birmingham, USA to make her the only Filipina to win in the said honor.
She also won six medals in the SEA Games, as well as silver and bronze medals in the 2021 Asian Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, respectively.
Aside from her historic 2022 World Games triumph, Tsukii also won a gold (2019) and a silver (2023) in the Southeast Asian Games, a silver (2021) in the Asian Championships, and a bronze (2018) in the Asian Games.
Tsukii was into karate since she was seven and climbed her way to the top and became a part of the Philippine national team at 17.
