Team Philippines glittered like gold on the first day of jiu-jitsu action, with Alexandria Enriquez clinching the country’s first gold medal of the 6th Asian Beach Games after a 5-0 win over South Korea’s Yeonji Lee in the women’s 63kg final on Thursday at the Sanya Bay Yuhai Club in China.
Enriquez, a US-based Filipina, asserted her dominance over her opponent en route to a commanding victory, capping off a stellar run in her first appearance in a multi-sport event for the Philippines.
She opened her campaign on a strong note in the resort city, scoring back-to-back submission wins against host China and Thailand. Then she secured a victory via advantage in the semifinals against Shamma Alkalbani to book her place in the gold medal match.
(C) POC-PSC Media Group
Enriquez expressed pride and joy after capturing the country’s first gold medal in the Games’ return after a 10-year hiatus.
“I feel so much pride and joy. I mean first of all, all glory to God, and I grew… I was born in the Philippines. We immigrated to the States when I was a very young child, six years old. And to be able to come back, you know, and experience it as an adult, and to be able to be a part of something much larger than I am is such a great honor,” she said.
(C) POC-PSC Media Group
Earlier in the day, Kaila Napolis put the Philippines on the medal table, securing the country’s first podium finish of the meet after outlasting Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulumbetova in overtime in the battle for bronze.
Drama marked Napolis’ bronze-medal victory as the match went into overtime after both athletes remained level at the end of regulation. Staying composed in sudden death, the Filipina edged out her opponent to replicate her feat in 2016, when she also reached the podium in the Asian Beach Games.
For Napolis, the hard-fought win made the result all the more meaningful.
“Sobrang nakakakaba. Kasi bawal magkamali. With overtime, the first to have an advantage na yung mananalo. So, super tight talaga ng laban,” said Napolis.
Meanwhile, fellow Filipina bet Andrea Lois Lao failed to complete a three-medal haul on the opening day after falling in her bronze medal match against Thailand’s Orapa Senatham, 3-0.
On the other hand, Myron Mangubat, Maria Ysabel Laureta, and Santino Luis Luzuriaga were all eliminated in the first round of their respective divisions.
