FILE–Kaila Napolis wins the Philippines’ first gold medal in the SEA Games 2023. –JUNE NAVARRO/INQUIRER
No matter what the tournament was, Kaila Napolis ever aspired for a medal lesser than the gold.
So when the reigning World Combat Games jiujitsu champion secured a silver medal in the recent 2024 Thailand Grand Prix Open in Bangkok, Napolis knew that the only thing to be happy about was how far she has improved.
“The goal of our team is always the gold medal. Although I’m not really satisfied with the silver, the progress has been encouraging,’’ said Napolis.
Just two months back, the Asian Games bronze medalist in the women’s 52kg division brought home a bronze medal from the Asian championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
And despite faltering against South Korea’s Im Eon-ju during the finale in the Bangkok grand prix over the weekend, Napolis positioned herself as a contender in the forthcoming Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games that will likewise be staged at the Thai capital in November.
“That’s the biggest competition of the year for us (jiujitsu national team). So far, so good and hopefully I could capture the gold there,’’ said Napolis.
Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez first burst into the limelight when both clinched the two gold medals that Team Philippines won in the previous Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games (Aimag) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2017.
The Asian tournament held every four years was shelved in 2021 due to the global health pandemic and will be revived only this year by host Thailand and will feature 30 sports.
Other medalists
“Most of our opponents in the Thailand grand prix and during the Asian championships will be there. We have to join other minor competitions leading to the Aimag,’’ said Napolis, last year’s Southeast Asian Games champion in her division.
Dyland Valmores and Andrea Lao joined Napolis as silver winners in the women’s +70kg and -63kg after dropping their matches against Thi Thanh Truc Nguyen of Vietnam and South Korea’s Sung Ki-ra in the finals.
Ochoa, a three-time world champion, didn’t let herself be left behind, sharing the bronze medal with Shraim Maitha of the United Arab Emirates in the women’s -48kg category.
Napolis, adjudged as the best Filipino jiujitsu fighter by the Women’s In Sports Awards under the Philippine Sports Commission, could duplicate the accolade from the award-giving body next year with a victory in the Aimag.
“There are important adjustments that I should make prior to the Aimag along with the necessary strength and conditioning and proper nutrition,’’ said Napolis, who intends to set up a training camp in Australia along with Ramirez a month before the indoor martial arts continental sportsfest.
Her sport, however, is in peril of missing the 33rd SEA Games in Bangkok next year after it was initially scrubbed off the calendar.
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“It will be unfortunate for us when it happens. There’s a big community of jiujitsu athletes in Thailand and I know most of the countries are making an appeal [for its inclusion],’’ said Napolis.