THE Philippine sambo team has once again brought pride and glory to the country, capturing three silver medals and one bronze at the recent Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships held at the Forum de Macau Stadium in Macau, China.
Aislinn Agnes Yap, a Paris Open champion, secured two silver medals in the women’s -80kg sport sambo and the Combat Sambo Women’s -80kg categories, narrowly missing the gold to Kazakhstan’s Madina Yerzhan in both finals.
World campaigner Sydney Sy-Tancontian also made an impressive return, clinching the silver in the women’s +80kg class after falling to Uzbekistan’s Feruza Khurozova in the finals. Sy-Tancontian’s comeback is notable after a year-long hiatus from sambo to complete her studies at the University of Santo Tomas and fulfill her role as chairperson of the International Sambo Federation Athletes Commission.
Despite an initial lead due to a penalty, Sy-Tancontian ultimately lost 1-6.
Robin Catalan added to the medal tally by earning a bronze in the men’s Combat Sambo -58kg category.
Sy-Tancontian, 24, has a history of dominance in the sport, previously excelling in the 2019 New Delhi, India, and 2022 Jouneih, Lebanon editions of the competition.
Yap, 26, improved on her previous year’s performance, having won bronze in the 2023 edition in Astana, Kazakhstan. She now sets her sights on qualifying for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, in women’s combat sambo.
Philippine Sambo Federation Inc. President Paolo Tancontian praised the team’s performance, noting significant improvement despite the fierce competition at the Asian level.
“We have improved a lot in terms of the medals we obtained. However, there is still room for growth. Asia is considered a world-class level, with 80% of world champions coming from this region. Our progress is significant, and we are now one of the strongest teams in Asia, even though we are the youngest national sports association,” said Tancontian.
Meanwhile, 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion Chino Sy-Tancontian (men’s -98kg), Janry Pamor (men’s -64kg), and Aumaegel Princess Cortez (women’s -59kg) narrowly missed out on bronze medals.