Meggie Ochoa in tears after winning the Philippines’ first gold medal in ju-jitsu at the Asian Games
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The Philippines' Meggie Ochoa cries after winning the women's Under-48kg ju-jitsu gold medal match.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
HANGZHOU – Even before the winner of the women’s Under-48kg ju-jitsu gold medal bout was officially announced at the Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium on Thursday, both Meggie Ochoa and Balqees Abdulla were in tears.
It turned out to be tears of joy for the former, who beat the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Abdulla by an advantage, while the latter was crying out of disappointment.
This picture of contrasting fortunes showed what this gold meant to Ochoa, who has gone through a journey that has seen her reach the zenith of ju-jitsu as she won two world titles, but also grapple with doubt as she questioned her purpose in the sport.
Ochoa also faced some challenges en route to the final.
Just days before her competition, she was unwell and, in the semi-finals on Thursday, she injured her hip.
But the 33-year-old was determined not to let that stop her from getting her first Asiad title.
She said: “I am really overwhelmed... I’ve gotten sick, I’ve gotten injured, and before this match, I pulled my hip in the semi-finals. I cannot believe it.
“I thought even if I cannot walk after the final, I have to fight and win the gold. I did my best performance today.”
This was also the Philippines’ first Asian Games gold medal in ju-jitsu and the country’s second in Hangzhou.
Ochoa, who was limping during the medal ceremony, stressed that the victory was not just hers.
She said: “Everyone was there for me: the Philippines team, my family, my friends and my church. I want to show this gold medal to everyone who helped me get here.”
Singapore’s Noah Lim came close to winning a medal in the men’s Under-69kg on Thursday but fell just short after losing 2-0 to Kazakhstan’s Aldiyar Serik. The event was won by Serik’s compatriot Nurzhan Batyrbekov.
The three-time SEA Games gold medallist won his first two bouts but lost by an advantage to South Korea’s Joo Seong-hyeon in the quarter-finals.
He made his way back through the repechage, beating Tajikistan’s Ramshed Abdulloev 8-0 to advance to the bronze-medal match against Serik.
Noah Lim (left) lost to Kazakhstan’s Aldiyar Serik in the men’s Under-69kg bronze medal match.
The 21-year-old, who had childhood asthma, shared that a week ago he felt like his asthma had returned, which left him feeling breathless in training and during Thursday’s competition.
But the Asian Games debutant noted it was not an excuse, though it made things more challenging.
He added: “I had six very tough matches and I lost very narrowly in both matches to very tough opponents.
“I know I definitely could have won the matches but the time was so short and I couldn’t capitalise when I have opportunities, so there’s definitely a lot for me to work on in the future.”
There were three other Singaporeans in action on Thursday. In the men’s Under-62kg, Amirul Syafiq Shah Eran lost 3-2 to Filipino Marc Lim in the round of 32. The UAE’s Khaled Alshehi won the gold.
In the women’s Under-48kg, Kimberly Tan Cordeiro exited in the round of 32 after a defeat by Thailand’s Nutchaya Sugun by submission, while Teh May Yong lost 6-0 to Vietnam’s Phung Tie Hue in the round of 16.
