Hail queen Meggie!

Jiu-jitsu ace delivers second gold for team Philippines

HANGZHOU – Two-time world Jiu-jitsu champion Meggie Ochoa clinched the gold medal in the women’s Brazilian -48kg Thursday, raising hopes for Team Philippines heading into the last three days of competition at the 19th Asian Games here.

Ochoa, 33, won the gold when she herself thought she couldn’t.

“Sobrang overwhelming kasi ang daming nangyari papunta dito. Hanggang kahapon, may trangkaso ako so akala ko, hindi ko na kaya,” said the tearful 33-year-old at the XSL Gymnasium.

As the days got colder here, Sakura Alforte of karate delivered a bronze medal in the women’s individual kata, improving Team Philippines’ total haul to two gold, one silver and 10 bronze medals.

Alforte is the reigning champion in the Cambodia SEA Games.

Ochoa was under medication when she arrived at the venue. Then she relied on a big fighting heart, her vast experience and shining credentials in the sport which could be brutal at times.

The Jiu-jitsu fighter with a pretty face turned back Abdulla Balqees of the United Arab Emirates on points in their gold-medal match. Earlier in the semis, the Filipina held off Pechrada Kacie Tan of Thailand.

Ochoa said she pulled her hip in the semis, leaving her doubtful heading to the gold-medal bout. But she managed to fight through sickness and pain.

“Ang dami kong ininom na gamot para lang makalaban. Kahit hindi na ako makalakad, basta ibibigay ko lahat,” said the world champion in 2015 and in 2022.

Ochoa is a big name in the world of Jiu-jitsu, also winning the gold in the Asian Championships this year, on top of another gold in the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games and two more golds in the SEA Games.

She couldn’t control her emotions looking back at the long, hard road to the top of the podium.

Later in the night, Eumir Marcial fell short in the eyes of the judges, losing to China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan in their 80kg gold-medal bout that could have gone either way.

They traded standing-eight counts heading into the third and decisive round. Neither fighter landed any staggering blow in the last round and yet all five judges gave it to the Chinese, a silver medalist in the last Asian Championships.

The crowd cheered wildly for the Chinese, and it was all he needed to earn the nod of the judges.

“Nakita niyo ba ‘yung third round? Atin ‘yun,” said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines chief Ricky Vargas.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino felt the same, saying “Wala tayong laban sa host.”

“Akala ko akin yung third round. Pero kailangan natin respetuhin ang decision ng judges,” said Marcial.

But still, the big story is that of Gilas Pilipinas, which stunned 2018 champion China and braced for tonight’s gold-medal match against Jordan at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.

In athletics, the Philippine men’s team in the 4x400 relay eclipsed the national record but still fell short of winning a second medal for the team after pole vaulter EJ Obiena broke the Asian Games record to win the gold with his 5.90 meters.

Umajesty Williams, Michael del Prado, Joyme Sequita and Frederick Ramirez finished at 3:04.89 to surpass their own record of 3:06.15 set just the other night during the heats.

They finished fifth in the final ruled by India.

The women’s 4x400 team of Lauren Hoffman, Robyn Brown, Angel Frank and Maureen Schrivers also wound up fifth in their final with a time of 3:40.78. Bahrain took the gold.

Weightlifter Vanessa Sarno failed to lift herself up the podium and finished fifth in the women´s 76kg with a total of 235 (105kg snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk). North Korean bets took the gold and silver at 267kg and 266kg respectively.