Sixteen Filipino jiu-jitsu practitioners struck gold medals in the recent Sports Jiu-jitsu International Federation World Championship in Nagoya, Japan.
Leading the way for the PH team was kindergarten featherweight Brielle Bartolome, who won both in the gi and no gi divisions.
She took the gold in the no gi category after she dispatched Peng Nian of China via armbar to prevail in the first round. Bartolome then outpointed Nishimoto Wakana of Japan to rule the gi rooster-weight division gold.
Equally impressive was youth light featherweight no gi fighter Marcus Dela Cruz, who submitted all his opponents en route to his gold-medal win highlighted by his final round conquest of China’s Ma Haisen.
Youth gi featherweight champion Cesca Lepiten also submitted all her opponents to capture the gold, winning her last two including the final against Kimura Alana Liu via armbar in the second round.
Pre-teen no gi middleweight Thiago Bartolome also triumphed by submission over American Laptev Maksim.
“I am very happy that our Philippine Junior Grappling Team comprised of different DEFTAC chapters are showing everyone how hard they worked for and how good they really are,” said DEFTAC and Universal Reality Combat Championship founder and President Alvin Aguilar.
They competed against Jiu-jitsu athletes from US, Japan, China, South Korea, Brazil, and Hong Kong, among other countries.
All the medalists, according to Aguilar, are members of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines-RP Junior Grappling Team.
Other winners were Claudia Lepiten, Tessa Joson, Ali Joson, Tomas Joson, Ethan Ramos and Uno Ordona.
