Junna Tsukii

Junna Villanueva Tsukii (月井 隼南, Tsukii Junna[1]) (born September 30, 1991) is a Filipino-Japanese karateka. Representing the Philippines, she won the gold medal in the women's kumite 50 kg event at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, United States.[2][3]

In this article, the surname is Tsukii (Japanese patronymic surname), and her middle name is Villanueva.
In this Japanese name, the surname is Tsukii.

Junna Tsukii
Tsukii in 2022
Personal information
Native name月井 隼南
Full nameJunna Villanueva Tsukii
Born (1991-09-30) September 30, 1991
Pasay, Philippines
EducationTakushoku University
OccupationTeacher
Sport
CountryPhilippines
SportKarate
Weight class50 kg
Event(s)Kumite
Medal record
Women's karate
Representing  Philippines
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Games 1 0 0
Asian Games 0 0 1
Asian Championships 0 1 0
Southeast Asian Games 1 2 3
Total 2 3 4
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham Kumite 50 kg
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta Kumite 50 kg
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 2021 Almaty Kumite 50 kg
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Philippines Kumite 50 kg
Silver medal – second place 2023 Cambodia Kumite 50 kg
Silver medal – second place 2023 Cambodia Team kumite
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Kuala Lumpur Kumite 50 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Kuala Lumpur Team kumite
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Team kumite

Early life and education

Junna Tsukii was born in Pasay, Philippines[4] on September 30, 1991.[5] She was born to Shin Tsukii, a Japanese coach, and Lilia Villanueva, a Filipina.[6] Junna is the second eldest among three children.[1] She moved to Japan when she was three years old.[4]

She went to a junior high school in Kansai[7] She studied at Takushoku University in Tokyo, Japan.[4] She would obtain a teacher's license for social studies and went back to her alma mater in Kansai to teach.[8]

Career

Tsukii took up karate at age seven joining her own father's dojo in Japan.[6] She would rise to become a national champion in Japan when she was on her second year in junior high school and selected to represent the country internationally.[7] However she was hindered by serious injuries at age 17.[7] She tried to return to the Japanese national team while recovering from injuries but she later decide to represent the Philippines in 2017.[8]

Representing the Philippines, Tsukii won one of the bronze medals in the women's kumite 50 kg event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.[5][9] In her bronze medal match she defeated Paweena Raksachart of Thailand.[5]

In 2019, Tsukii won the gold medal in the women's kumite 50 kg event at the Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines.[10] In 2017, she won one of the bronze medals in this event at the Southeast Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[9][11] That year, she also won one of the bronze medals in the team kumite event.[9]

In 2021, Tsukii won the gold medal in her event at the Karate 1-Premier League event held in Lisbon, Portugal.[12][13] In June 2021, she competed at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Paris, France hoping to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[14] She did not qualify as she was eliminated in her first match by Ivet Goranova of Bulgaria.[14] In November 2021, Tsukii competed in the women's 50 kg event at the World Karate Championships held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[15] She was eliminated in her second match.[15] In December 2021, she won the silver medal in her event at the Asian Karate Championships held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.[16][17]

Tsukii won the gold medal in the women's kumite 50 kg event of the 2022 World Games held in Birmingham, United States.[2][18] She defeated Yorgelis Salazar of Venezuela in her gold medal match.[3] In 2023, she competed in the women's 50 kg event at the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China where she was eliminated in her first match.

Personal life

Tsukii cannot speak Tagalog well and learned English while she was in Japan but found her education on the language inadequate which initially made her doubt herself if she is fit to represent the Philippines. She would learn how to sing Lupang Hinirang, the national anthem, when she first became a representative of the country to compensate for her lack of fluency in Tagalog.[19][20]

She also manages her own YouTube channel where she holds karate web seminars.[6]

Achievements
YearCompetitionLocationRankEvent
2017 Southeast Asian Games Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3rd Kumite 50 kg
3rd Team kumite
2018 Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia 3rd Kumite 50 kg
2019 Southeast Asian Games Manila, Philippines 1st Kumite 50 kg
2021 Asian Championships Almaty, Kazakhstan 2nd Kumite 50 kg
2022 Southeast Asian Games Hanoi, Vietnam 3rd Team kumite
World Games Birmingham, United States 1st Kumite 50 kg
2023 Southeast Asian Games Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2nd Kumite 50 kg
2nd Team kumite

References
  1. Fuse, Koji. "カワイイだけじゃない異色の空手家。月井隼南はフィリピンから東京五輪へ。（布施鋼治）". Sport Graphic Number Web (in Japanese). Bungeishunju Ltd. p. 1. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. "Sandra Sanchez and Anzhelika Terliuga lead way to medals on Day 1 of Karate at The World Games". World Karate Federation. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  3. "Karate Results Book" (PDF). 2022 World Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  4. Atencio, Peter (April 2, 2020). "Fil-Japanese karate bet stays in shape at home". Manila Standard. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  5. "Karate Results" (PDF). 2018 Asian Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  6. Clarito, Ariel Ian (May 5, 2020). "Southern Falcon: Junna Tsukii is grounded but soaring". Rappler. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  7. Fuse, Koji. "カワイイだけじゃない異色の空手家。月井隼南はフィリピンから東京五輪へ。（布施鋼治）". Sport Graphic Number Web (in Japanese). Bungeishunju Ltd. p. 2. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  8. Fuse, Koji. "カワイイだけじゃない異色の空手家。月井隼南はフィリピンから東京五輪へ。（布施鋼治）". Sport Graphic Number Web (in Japanese). Bungeishunju Ltd. p. 3. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  9. Giongco, Mark (December 24, 2019). "No shortage of struggle for Olympics chasing Tsukii". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  10. "Karate Results" (PDF). 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  11. "Karate Medalists". 2017 Southeast Asian Games. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  12. Shefferd, Neil (May 2, 2021). "Tokyo 2020 places still up for grabs following Karate 1-Premier League event in Lisbon". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  13. "Olympic qualification remains up for grabs after memorable Karate 1 Premier League Lisbon". World Karate Federation. May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  14. "2021 Karate World Olympic Qualification Tournament Results Book" (PDF). World Karate Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  15. "Junna Tsukii suffers early exit in Dubai World Championships". Manila Bulletin. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  16. Burke, Patrick (December 22, 2021). "Japan top medal table at Asian Karate Championships in Almaty". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  17. "2021 Asian Karate Championships Results Book" (PDF). Sportdata.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  18. Valderrama, Aeron Paul (July 9, 2022). "World Games: Junna Tsukii takes under-50 kumite gold". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  19. Manabat, Lio (December 23, 2019). "Karateka Junna Tsukii proud to have both Pinoy and Japanese blood". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  20. Manabat, Lio (August 17, 2022). "'Why didn't she choose Japan?' Junna Tsukii answers". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
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