Filipino fighters strike gold in World Festival Jiu-Jitsu Championship

MANILA, Philippines — Several Filipinos won gold medals in the recently concluded 2024 World Festival Jiu-Jitsu Championship. 

Young athletes Princess Akeisha Reuma, Althea Brion, Aielle Aguilar, Marcus Sebastian dela Cruz and Yani Alexii Lopez won gold medals in their respective divisions in the tourney. 

Reuma scooped up the gold medal in the girls’ gi junior white belt 48kg division, besting Kazakhstan’s Aisha Zhamalbek via submission in the championship round. 

Brion went home with the infant white 40kg gold medal after winning by points over Kazakhstan’s Rayana Seitova, 1-0. 

The seven-year-old Aguilar also bested two opponents for the gold to become a three-time world champion in a new weight class kids 2 gray -22 kgs event after winning, 4-0, against Sarah Abuhiljleh; while dela Cruz claimed the kid 3 white -24kgs gold medal after submitting the United Arab Emirates’ Mohamed Ali Almazrouei within 20 seconds via rear naked choke and Jordan’s Yousef Hayari also via same submission maneuver within 34 seconds.

Lopez brought home the women’s junior grey 40 kgs gold by beating Brazilian Gabriella Yamaguchi by points, Syrian Sirmin Salim via America submission in one minute and 45 seconds, Kazakhstan’s Darina Dauletbaeva by points, 3-1, and UAE’s Mahra Badr via points, 9-0.

Other Filipinos also finished on the podium. ADMA’s Rainen Cu ended up third in the boys’ kids 3 grey 27kg division; Atrixion Combat Sports’ Brielle Hylo Tagudena in the girls’ kids 1 white 16kg division; Delariva Abu Dhabi’s Zoe Villanueva girls infant white 60kg; and Renzo Gracie Dubai’s Althea Ysabelle Cubcuban in the girls’ kids 3 white 40kg. 

Alvin Aguilar, DEFTAC founder and president, said that with the successful haul from the Philippines in the competition, he is optimistic that more world champions will come from the team in years to come. 

“It has been 26 years since the first time we competed abroad, and we are happy that through those years we have been able to produce countless world champions. Now, we have five,” Aguilar, who is also the president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines, said. 

“This year the WAP Junior Grappling team made up of homegrown talents from DEFTAC has already produced 21 World Champions this year in different tournaments,” he added.