Cebu-born Watanabe bags silver in Europe judo open
FILIPINO-Japanese Kiyomi Watanabe reaffirmed her status as one of the country’s top judokas as she snatched a silver medal in the 2017 European Judo Open Women yesterday in Oberwart, Austria.
Watanabe, born and raised in Cebu, collected her second international medal after bagging a bronze last week in the 2017 Paris Grand Slam in Paris, France.
Watanabe, whose mother is from Toledo City, fell short in the 63-kilogram gold medal match against the title favorite Kathrin Unterwurzacher of host Austria in one ippon and a wazari.
Unterwurzacher finished off the two-time Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) gold medalist Watanabe with a vicious hold-down at 1:26 mark.
Isabel Pache of Spain and Lindsay Tsang Sum Moi of France both settled for third place to salvage a bronze.
Watanabe won her first three fights to set a title date with Unterwurzacher who won the same 63-kilogram category last 2014.
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