The Defense Tactics Center (DEFTAC) is looking to develop more jiu-jitsu world champions following its strong performance in the 2024 World Festival Jiu-Jitsu Championships.

DEFTAC president Alvin Aguilar said they will keep on working until they harness young athletes who will follow the footsteps of Princess Akeisha Reuma, Ma. Althea Louise Brion, her daughter Aielle Aguilar, Marcus Sebastian dela Cruz and Yani Alexii Lopez, who all won gold medals in the elite world tourney in Dubai, United Arab Emirates recently.

“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, also Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) founder and Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) president, 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.”

Aguilar thanked the Philippine Olympic Committee headed by president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, Tingog Partylist, and the WAP for supporting their young athletes who represented the country in the recent world tourney.

Reuma won the gold in the junior white 48 kgs by beating all her counterparts — Kazakhstan’s Safina Akmetshina, UAE’s Noora Ali Aljaheri, Russian Vasilisa Rakova and Kazakhstan’s Aisha Zamalbek — via different submission maneuvers like Americana, armlock, armbar and kimura.

Brion bagged the infant white 40 kgs gold medal after beating UAE’s Alyazia Saad Alhadhrami, Maha Abdula, and Reem Almansoori all by rear naked choke submission, Nigerian Valerie Umunna by points, 14-0, and Kazakhstan’s Rayana Seitova by points, 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.

Dela Cruz claimed the kid 3 white -24kgs gold medal after submitting UAE’s Mohamed Ali Almazrouei within 20 seconds via rear naked choke and Jordan’s Yousef Hayari also via same submission maneuver within 34 seconds.

Lopez took 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.