Taking gap year reaps silver for S’pore’s Noah Lim at ju-jitsu world c’ships

SINGAPORE – For the past four years, Singaporean ju-jitsu exponent Noah Lim has had to master a balancing act, combining the demands of training and competition with the rigours of medical school.

But recently, the 23-year-old took a leap of faith ahead of the Sept 19-Oct 4 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

In July, the medical student at Nanyang Technological University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine decided to take a gap year after the completion of his fourth and penultimate year in school.

And that bold decision has reaped an immediate reward, as Lim won his second straight silver at the Ju-jitsu International Federation World Championships in the men’s ne-waza under-69kg on Aug 7.

In a closely fought final at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, he was beaten by the United Arab Emirates’ Omar Alfadhli by one advantage point after a 2-2 tie.

En route to the final, Lim was at his clinical best as he beat his opponents from Colombia and the Philippines, as well as a neutral athlete, by submission.

The result puts the three-time SEA Games champion in good stead ahead of the Asian Games.

Lim told The Straits Times: “I have been preparing consistently for years, but my training stepped up recently when I decided to take time off medical school to train full-time.

“The main challenge had been balancing my medical school workload with training. Managing the demands of both was difficult mainly in terms of getting enough sleep and recovering well. Having clinical postings and tutorials is both cognitively and physically draining, and it was hard to be my best self on the mats and I often fell sick from prolonged periods without enough rest.”

Lim had previously noted how making use of every bit of time to train is crucial, especially in the third and fourth years of his studies, when a lot of time was spent in hospitals and clinics.

At the Hangzhou Asiad in 2023, where Lim made his debut, he lost to South Korean eventual bronze medallist Joo Seong-hyeon in the quarter-finals. He also suffered a narrow 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kazakhstan’s Aldiyar Serik in the third-place play-off.

He added: “I view this (silver medal) less as a boost and more as a part of my training camp. It was a good experience where I learnt a lot. There is definitely a lot of work to do ahead of the Games... it would be nice to bring home a medal.”

Singapore Ju-jitsu Association president Henry Kothagoda hailed Lim’s accomplishment, noting that it would motivate him to win gold in Nagoya.

He added: “This win by Noah affirms Singapore’s ability to hold our own on the world stage. I hope it will encourage our youth to strive for success against the world’s best.”

For now, Lim is aiming to improve several areas of his game before travelling to Japan.

While he was happy to match his previous silver-medal achievement, he still had “work to do and technical problems to solve on the mats”.

Lim added: “After years of competing, I realise that the results are a by-product of getting better and not the main goal. Anything can happen on the day itself but the main takeaway from this championship is the areas I need to fix and improve on.

“I’m excited to get home, continue working hard and trusting in God’s plan ahead of the Asian Games.”