Team Philippines showcased its indomitable power in sambo, winning five gold medals in the recent Southeast Asian Sambo Championships at the Viva Home Mall, Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Leading the charge were Southeast Asian Games combat sports veterans Robin Catalan, Mark Striegl and Chino Sy-Tancontian, who showcased their prowess in the thrilling sport of sambo.
Mark Striegl, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship and ONE Championship fighter, demonstrated his versatility by securing the gold in the Combat-Sambo men’s -79kgs category and adding a bronze in the men’s under-79kgs Sport Sambo.
Notably, Striegl, a 2019 SEA Games’ combat sambo champion in the 71kg category, displayed his skills in his heaviest weight class.
Robin Catalan, the 2023 Cambodia Games Kun Bokator gold medalist, emerged victorious in the sambo-men’s 64kgs category, further solidifying his reputation as a formidable competitor.
Chino Sy-Tancontian, a Philippine 2019 SEA Games champion and Cambodia SEA Games freestyle wrestling silver medalist, claimed the gold in the sport-sambo men’s -98kgs, showcasing his mastery in this dynamic sport.
Adding to the golden tally were Aislin Yap, a 2023 Asia-Oceania Championships bronze medalist, who triumphed in the women’s 80kgs sport sambo, and Godwin Langbayan, who secured the gold in the men’s under-71kgs combat sambo.
The team’s success continued with Jomari Torres, a skilled MMA fighter, earning silver in the women’s combat -54kgs and women’s under-54kgs sport sambo categories.
Jeloird Alvarez contributed to the medal count with a bronze in the men’s under-58kgs combat sambo.
“With another successful campaign for the Pilipinas Sambo national team, we are overjoyed and truly grateful to finish the year with a great victory. It was a fruitful and wonderful year for our federation and to our athletes to provide our country numerous honors and medals in the past competitions,” said Pilipinas Sambo Federation Inc., President Paolo Tancontian.
“With this win, it could set the tone for us in the coming international tournaments and we hope to produce more for our country and our pride,” added Tancontian, who was accompanied on the trip by national head coach Ace Larida and six-time World Sambo Championships bronze medalist Sydney Sy-Tancontian.
“Lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa Philippine Sports Commission for this campaign and para sa walang humpay na support sa mga SAMBO team Salamat din po sa Philippine Olympic Committee and sa IF namin na International SAMBO Federation para sa imbitasyon na makalahok ulit ang Pilipinas sa iba’t ibang prestigious sambo competition ng taon,” he added.