Afan delivers for Phl grapplers

World champion Fierre Afan made his presence felt as he secured two gold medals to power the Philippines to a second-place finish in the 2024 United World Wrestling Asian Grappling Championship recently at the Tagaytay Combat Sports Arena in Tagaytay City.

The 20-year-old Afan bested Alinur Beisen of Kazakhstan in the final of the men’s -77 kilograms grappling gi and no gi events to lead the Filipinos to an impressive performance of 16 gold, 26 silver and 26 bronze medals in this event backed by Philippine Olympic Committee chief Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and the LCS Group of Companies.

Kazakhstan topped the medal tally with 39 gold medals while Singapore finished third with two gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

“I’m very happy not only because I won two gold medals but because I saw my fellow Filipinos winning as well,” said Afan, the country’s top grappler.

“We prove that we could get along with powerhouse Asian teams like Kazakhstan in this combat sport of grappling.”

Aside from Afan, lady grapplers Andrea Ocampo, Charlie Ratliffe and Annie Parungao also bagged a pair of gold medals each in this competition hosted by the Wrestling Association of the Philippines headed by Alvin Aguilar.

Ocampo scooped the gold medal in the women’s -53 kgs grappling gi event after beating top Kazakh grapplers Aruzhan Kuanyshkyzy, Aida Zhetpissova and Uzbekistan’s Ultu Askar in previous bouts.

She also beat Kuanyshkyzy and Zhetpissova to emerge with gold medals in the women’s -53 kgs grappling no gi category.

Ratcliff, who also fought in the 12-kg heavier category, clinched the women’s -56 kgs grappling gi and no gi gold medals after crushing Balsezim Bakyt of Kyrgyzstan and Giselle Divya Gomez of Singapore, respectively.

Parungao, who has a strong background in jiu-jitsu, claimed the women’s-58 kgs gi and no gi gold medals.

Other gold medalists in the men’s class were Miguel Gutierrez (-58 kgs gi), Lucas Mateo Holganza (53 kgs gi U-15), Joaquin Marte (-63 kgs gi), Alonso Lucas Aguilar (-63 kgs gi), and Joshua Dy (-84 kgs gi).

In women’s class, the gold winners were Yani Lopez (-48 kgs no gi), Clarisse Pasamba (-48 kgs gi), Ella Olaso (-52 kgs gi) and Miriam Balisme (-60 kgs no gi).

“We are thrilled to announce that the Philippine grappling team has achieved their best finish ever in the Asian championship held here,” Aguilar said.