The Philippine karate team is leaving nothing to chance as it quietly builds its campaign for the 20th Asian Games, opting for preparation over prediction in its bid to strike gold in Nagoya, Japan.

Philippine Karate Federation president Richard Lim said the national team remains on schedule following a solid showing in the Southeast Asian Karate Championships held from 9 to 12 July, where the athletes in contention for the Asian Games roster showed they could hold their own against the region’s top fighters.

The Philippines collected three silver and 24 bronze medals in the regional meet, giving the federation valuable insight as it finalizes its six-athlete delegation for the Asian Games.

Despite the encouraging results, Lim said the federation is keeping its lineup under wraps until the official submission of entries, stressing that revealing the roster too early could provide rival countries with an advantage.

“So far, we are on track in terms of schedule and training. The ultimate goal is to win the gold,” Lim told DAILY TRIBUNE in a phone conversation.

“You don’t know what categories the other countries will prioritize. We may think our athlete is strongest in one division, but another country like Japan or Iran may also send its best there.”

The Philippines will send the three men and three women competing in both kumite and kata events.

Karate competitions are scheduled from 20 to 23 September at the Toyohashi Gymnasium.

Lim said the federation is carefully evaluating every weight class to give the country the best chance of returning to the podium.

“We’re studying the last championships and reviewing videos. We look at which categories give us the best chance and where our athletes can compete well,” he said.

Aside from analyzing recent international tournaments, the coaching staff has intensified video scouting of potential opponents from traditional Asian powerhouses such as Japan and Iran, allowing the team to tailor its preparations for each possible matchup.

The federation is also arranging another overseas training camp before the Games, with Istanbul, Turkey once again emerging as the preferred training base for the national kumite squad after previous successful camps there.

Lim believes the combination of international exposure, technical preparation and careful planning will give the Filipino karatekas a realistic chance of surpassing their performance in the previous edition of the Games.

The country is looking to improve on its lone bronze medal from the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where Sakura Alforte delivered the Philippines’ only podium finish after placing third in the women’s kata event.

Ivan Suing

While Lim refused to make bold predictions, he expressed confidence that the team remains on the right path as it enters the final stretch of preparations.

For now, the federation intends to keep its strategy — and the identities of its top bets — behind closed doors, hoping that secrecy will become another weapon as the Filipinos chase an elusive Asian Games gold. Ivan Suing