FILIPINO-JAPANESE Mariya Takahashi said her first Asian Games debut has taught her lessons she would cherish and learn from for future competitions.
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games judo champion Takahashi, 17, according to her mother LynLyn, said, "Sabi ni Mariya nakita nya ang mga dapat nyang pag-aralang mabuti para sa susunod na mga laban. More practice pa."
She was the youngest in the Philippine national judo team that competed in the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia recently.
Takahashi's mother is from Compostela Valley while her father is from Japan.
Takahashi lost her quarterfinals match against 27-year-old Seongyeon Kim of South Korea via Ippon in women's -70 kilograms event.
"Nakulbaan pud daw sya kay labi natong Korean nga kabalo naman sya daan ato nga kusgan jud to sya ingon sa iyang classmate nga Koreana pud (Mariya said she was also nervous knowing that the Korean was a strong player according to her Korean classmate)," the doting mother told Sun.Star Davao in a Facebook conversation.
