US-based grappler delivers first PH WIN in Sanya
SANYA—Alexandria Enriquez, a US-based grappler, clinched the country’s first gold medal in the sixth Asian Beach Games after a 5-0 win over South Korea’s Yeonji Lee in the women’s 63-kilogram final on Thursday at Sanya Bay Yuhai Club here.
Enriquez’ dominant victory capped a stellar run that highlighted her first appearance in a multisport event for the Philippines, as she also chalked up submission victories over foes from host China and Thailand before sealing her spot in the gold medal match with an advantageous win over Shamma Al Kalbani of the United Arab Emirates.
“I feel so much pride and joy,” Enriquez, whose family moved to the United States when she was six years old, said. “First of all, all glory to God. I was born in the Philippines … and to be able to come back and experience it as an adult and to be able to be a part of something much larger than I am is such a great honor.”
Napolis is third
Earlier in the day, Kaila Napolis put the Philippines on the medal board as she claimed the country’s first medal of the meet with a win against Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulumbetova in overtime in the battle for bronze.
Drama wrapped Napolis’ quest for a medal after the match went into overtime, when both athletes were still level at the end of five minutes. Though practicing caution, the Filipino was able to get an advantage in the sudden-death period to repeat her feat from 2016, where she first had a podium finish.
For Napolis, it was a tough win that made the result worth it.
“I was so nervous, because I cannot afford to make a mistake,” Napolis said in Filipino. “It was such a tight match.”
The other Filipino women in the medal rounds, Andrea Lois Lao, failed to make it a three-medal haul on opening day after losing her bronze medal match against Thailand’s Orapa Senatham, 3-0, with Myron Mangubat, Maria Ysabel Laureta and Santino Luis Luzuriaga eliminated in their first round matches.
