HANGZHOU - Junna Tsukii failed to give Team Philippines its final medal in the 19th Asian Games, losing in the women's 50kg kumite on Sunday morning.
The Filipina karateka was reduced to tears after dropping a 3-2 decision to Srey Phea Chonn of Cambodia in their Round-of-16 match at the LSC gymnasium.
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Tsukii rued the penalty assesed on her by the referee that cost her a point after being in control of the match early on.
But she's putting the loss behind and is proud of the way the national karate team performed in the Asiad that saw Sakura Alforte winning the bronze in the women's individual kata.
"We gave everything," said Tsukii, who won the gold medal in last year's World Games in Birmingham, USA. "We keep our heads up, It's painful, but we must move on."
Tsukii later apologized to the Filipino people for not making it to the podium.
"Maraming salamat for supporting us. I'm sorry, I can't say the good news for eveyone. But still I tried to the best of my ability," she said.
The World Championship in Budapest is next for Tsukii and the national karate team.
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