Filipino-Japanese karateka Junna Tsukii chopped a heckler down to size after the latter questioned her Filipino heritage following her silver medal performance at the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“Paano nagging Pinoy yan? Her name and looks show no hint of her being Filipino,” an anonymous account wrote.
“What is your idea of Filipino-ness? First of all, my mother is Filipino. I was born in Pasay. I have been a member of the Philippine karate team for 6 years. We wear the Filipino flag on our chest and work hard every day,” Tsukii wrote online.
“You will be able to erase this comment and get away with it. But unlike these people, I am proudly fighting with my face and name. I am proud of my brave heart and of my mother who gave me Filipino blood,” she added.
Supporters immediately rushed to her side.
“You’re Filipino because you fight for our flag and love our country. That’s a bond deeper than blood,” one wrote.
“You are making us all proud by carrying the Filipino flag!” Another said.
Tsukii was upset with the judges’ decision to award the gold to Malaysia’s Shahmalarani Chandran, after their three-minute gold match ended in a 1-1 tie, and the judges splitting their votes.
The referee ultimately broke the tie, nodding to the Malaysian karateka.
