What doesn’t kill you…
NAGOYA—Jean Claude Saclag walked into the cage at the 20th Asian Games carrying more than the weight of a nation’s hopes.
But Saclag came up a tad short of accomplishing his mission on Tuesday, as the gallant Filipino warrior bowed to Tajikistan’s Otabek Rajabov in the men’s traditional -65-kilogram mixed martial arts final and settled for silver in Nagoya.
Yet even in defeat, Saclag’s resolve only hardened.
He also carried the memory of his four-year-old son’s heart surgery, making every fight since that moment a mission.
“It was a really tough road to make the gold medal match, and yet, I still failed to win the gold,” Saclag said in Filipino. “But I will use this [defeat] as an inspiration to keep on improving and win the gold next time.”
The road to the final was marked by grit. After dispatching Saudi Arabia’s Saud Fawaz Alholem in the quarterfinal, he outclassed Japan’s Daisuke Murayama with a unanimous decision in the semifinal.
But against Rajabov, the Filipino found himself tested on the ground game, a lesson he admits will shape his future.
“I really expected to win the gold, and it’s a pity that I fell short,” he added. “I am very devastated by this defeat, not because of the loss per se, but because of how I performed.”
Behind the fighter’s frustration lies a deeper story. Saclag’s battles have always been fueled by faith, family and community.
Apart from leaning on his coaches and teammates, motivation comes from the people of Kalinga and Apayao. But above all, he leans on his wife and son as the anchors of his journey.
“It was a really devastating feeling when my son went through heart surgery,” he said. “He has always been my motivation in all of my fights.”
The silver may not shine as brightly as gold, but for Saclag, it is a reminder that the journey is far from over. It was also Saclag’s second Asian Games silver, following his finish in wushu at the 2014 Incheon Games.
He said he had hoped to finally capture gold after coming close more than a decade ago.
Despite the disappointment, Saclag explained that transitioning to MMA was not particularly difficult because of his background with Team Lakay in Baguio.
While he also admitted to being too eager after the opening round, which affected his execution of the game plan, failing to avoid being taken down by his crack foe was key.
His experience in wushu sanda and kickboxing helped develop his striking, but the final exposed areas of his ground game that still need work.
A lot of it.
The Kalinga warrior will return to the cage. And when he does, he will carry with him the same fire, sharpened by defeat, strengthened by faith and inspired by love.
******
Get real-time news updates: inqnews.net/inqviber
