CAMBODIA – Meggie Ochoa, the Philippine jiu-jitsu pride, showcased resilience and tenacity in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday, despite suffering from an apparent injury during the competition.
As the games unfolded in Cambodia, jiu-jitsu added two more medals to the Philippines’ growing tally, one of which was secured by Ochoa. The celebrated athlete settled for silver in the women’s ne-waza nogi -52kg event after a challenging match against Cambodia’s representative.
Ochoa’s performance was particularly notable given that she had sustained an apparent injury, which required her to be carried out of the venue after her match. The exact nature of her injury is yet to be disclosed.
Despite the setback, her achievement adds to the Philippines’ successful run in the biennial meet. Marc Lim, another Filipino jiu-jitsu athlete, secured the country’s 13th gold medal after winning the men’s ne-waza nogi -69kg event against Vietnam’s Dinh Tung Dang.
Sunday proved to be a fruitful day for the Philippine team, as the country garnered a total of six gold medals across various events. These included two in obstacle course racing, a duathlon gold from Kim Mangrobang, a karate gold from Jamie Lim, and a gold in the women’s soft tennis doubles from Noelle Mañalac and Princess Catindig.
With the games still underway, the Philippines continues to demonstrate its athletic prowess on the regional stage. As for Ochoa, despite her injury, her silver-winning performance stands testament to her skill and determination, further cementing her reputation as one of the country’s most esteemed jiu-jitsu athletes1.