GODWIN Langbayan and Chino Sy-Tancontian, both members of the Philippine national sambo team, showcased their exceptional grappling skills by bringing home gold medals from the 2024 Sports Jiu-Jitsu Federation (SJJF) World Jiu-Jitsu Championship held in Nagoya, Japan.
Langbayan, a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, demonstrated remarkable resilience as he overcame a persistent knee injury to secure two gold medals.
The 34-year-old from Benguet dominated the Male Brown Master 1 lightweight Gi event, triumphing over Japan’s Nishi Kazunori.
He further solidified his standing in the sport by excelling in the No Gi event, defeating Kawai Takayuki.
Despite facing tough competitors from Japan and Brazil, Langbayan’s performance was impressive, especially considering the injury he sustained during the finals.
In a media interview, he explained, “I sustained muscle and soft tissue damage, and there might also be meniscus damage.”
He recalled a critical moment when his opponent’s jump guard compromised his knee.
Nevertheless, he fought through the pain, winning five matches across various submission and point formats.
With a light-hearted spirit, Langbayan remarked, “Good thing I managed with medication, but I’ll be going home on crutches.”
He is also preparing for the coming 2024 World Sambo Championships in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, Sy-Tancontian, a 2019 SEA Games sambo gold medalist, made headlines by winning his first international jiu-jitsu competition. He triumphed over Japan’s Endo Masataka in the finals of the Male Blue Adult Super-Heavyweight Gi event after defeating Ai Brock from Mano Jiujitsu in the semifinals.
Earlier this year, the 23-year-old collegiate athlete captured a gold medal at the 2024 Grand Prix de Sambo de Paris, adding to his impressive achievements that include a gold win at the 2024 Dutch Open in March.
Sambo athletes train in both grappling and striking to excel in their sport. They join in cross-competitions abroad, especially after the cancellation of this year’s Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Bangkok, Thailand.
