Young Filipino fighters bag gold medals in Jiu-jitsu International Federation World Championship

Sixteen young Filipino jiu-jitsu fighters bag gold medals in the recent Sports Jiu-jitsu International Federation World Championship in Nagoya, Japan.

Brielle Bartolome, playing as a kindergarten featherweight in the no-gi category, won both in the gi and no gi divisions. Bartolome overcame Peng Nian of China via armbar to win the gold in the first round. She also outpointed Nishimoto Wakana of Japan to win the kindergarten gi rooster-weight division gold medal.

Aside from Bartolome, Marcus Dela Cruz under light featherweight in the no-gi category, submitted all his opponents en route to the gold. He defeated China's Ma Haisen in the final round.

Another young Filipina fighter who is Youth gi featherweight champion Cesca Lepiten also submitted all her opponents to capture the gold, acquiring her last two including the final against Kimura Alana Liu via armbar in the second round.

Pre-teen no-gi middleweight Thiago Bartolome also submitted his way to the championship after forcing Laptev Maksim to tap out after an Americana hold.

Also going home as champions are the following: Claudia Lepiten in the toddler GI light featherweights, Tessa Joson in the junior teen featherweights, Ali Joson in the kindergarten GI rooster weights, Tomas Joson in the youth rooster weights, Ethan Ramos in the pre-teen lightweights, and Uno Ordona in the pre-teen medium heavyweights.

Universal Reality Combat Championship founder and president Alvin Aguilar said that he was very happy on behalf of the Philippine Junior Grappling Team, composed of different DEFTAC chapters because they saw everyone how hard they work and how good they really are in the competition. 

According to Aguilar, the champions are also members of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines-RP Junior Grappling Team.

“I am very happy that our Philippine Junior Grappling Team, composed of different DEFTAC chapters, are showing everyone how hard they work and how good they really are,” Aguilar said.