SEA Games 2025: Singapore’s Jedd Tan clinches ju-jitsu gold in the men’s 77kg final
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Singapore's Jedd Tan defeated Thailand's Aunjai Chanwit in the Ju-jitsu Men's fighting -77kg final.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
- Jedd Tan, 18, won Singapore's third gold at the SEA Games in men's 77kg Ju-jitsu fighting, beating Thailand's Aunjai Chanwit 16-9.
- Tan overcame pre-game jitters and a challenging 10-12kg weight cut, which "almost killed me," to achieve this historic win.
- Fadhli Asad highlighted that "Jedd made history" as this is the first Ju-jitsu fighting system gold for Singapore at the SEA Games.
AI generated
BANGKOK – After a month-long slog to cut over 10kg from his 87-kg frame, Singapore ju-jitsu exponent Jedd Tan was a bundle of nerves ahead of his big day at the SEA Games.
He said: “The night before, I felt some out of this world confidence. But when I woke up, I felt very not ready... I was just thinking of all the negative scenarios.”
But the 18-year-old managed to overcome the pre-game jitters to claim Singapore’s third gold medal at the Games.
At the Navaminda Kasatriyahiraj Air Force Academy on Dec 10, the teenager emerged top in the men’s fighting 77kg final after beating Thailand’s Chanwit Aunjai 16-9.
The gold medal was the perfect prize after a painful struggle to lose weight for the event – he previously competed in the men’s 85kg.
“All the struggles of weight cutting – over 10 to 12 kg in one month, it almost killed me,” said Tan.
“Even now my chest, I can also feel that it is quite painful because of the weight cut.”
Singapore’s Jedd Tan (left) had cut over 10kg before the SEA Games.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
On Dec 10, Tan prevailed in a close final against the home favourite as the pair took a while to get points on the board before tying at 4-4.
Tan then led 8-5 with a minute remaining in the three-minute match before holding out for the win against the 2022 Asian champion.
His victory sparked wild cheers and chants of “Singapura” from the Singapore supporters in the stands.
Singapore high performance manager Fadhli Asad said: “Jedd made history for us because this is the first time that we have fighting system in ju-jitsu (at the SEA Games), and Jedd got a gold medal for us.
“That’s something very good, and something that we want to show Singapore.”
En route to the final, Tan beat Vietnam’s Van Suu, before taking down Thailand’s Kampanart Polput and Indonesia’s Artz Brilliant Perfecto.
But it was not easy for Tan in a narrow win over Van. He said: “I actually feel quite relieved and quite grateful that God has brought me through this stage, because in the first round, I was going to lose.
“In the last six to seven seconds I was down by quite a lot of points, but luckily, in the last moments, I managed to throw him… But I felt that I didn’t deserve the win.
“Subsequently, I had a lot of cramps in the remaining three fights, but luckily, the physios were there to help alleviate all the pain and in the final I was more ready.
The youngest member of the Singapore squad, he won gold in the 2024 South-east Asia Regional Ju-jitsu Championship in the Under-21 ne-waza 85kg category, and was fifth at the Asian Championship in the fighting system 77kg competition.
At the 2023 edition in Cambodia, Singapore’s ju-jitsu exponents won one gold, one silver and two bronzes.
