Kaila Napolis delivered the Philippines’ first medal in Chengdu after capturing silver in the women’s ju-jitsu -52-kilogram ne-waza finals on Sunday at the Jianyang Cultural and Sports Centre Gymnasium. Facing South Korea’s Eon Ju Im, Napolis was locked in a 2-2 tie in the dying seconds and attempted to throw her opponent out of bounds for the decisive score. However, Im managed to secure a dominant top position as the clock expired, earning the final point and the gold.

Despite the narrow defeat, Napolis’ performance gave the Philippine contingent its first podium finish after three days of competition. The national team, supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee led by President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and the Philippine Sports Commission, celebrated the achievement. “I am a little disappointed I did not get the crucial point. But I am still grateful I was able to represent the country here,” Napolis shared.

Annie Ramirez falls short but eyes open category

Annie Ramirez, vocally supporting Napolis from the stands, saw her own campaign in the women’s -57kg class end after dropping two matches. She remains in contention for a medal in the open ne-waza category, where she aims to bounce back.

Raph Trinidad narrowly misses wakeboard bronze

At Sancha Lake Taohuadao Arena, wakeboarder Raph Trinidad finished just shy of the podium in the cable men’s wakeboard event. With a strong second run that drew cheers from both teammates and local fans, Trinidad was on track for bronze until a late aerial trick misstep cost him points. He placed fourth with 56.60, behind France’s Loic Deschaux (95.00), Germany’s Max Milde (92.80), and Florian Weiherer (65.00).

In billiards, Chezka Centeno advanced in the women’s 10-ball after a 7-2 win over USA’s Savannah Easton, setting up a clash with China’s Yu Han. SEA Games champion Rubilen Amit exited the preliminaries after a 4-7 loss to Germany’s Pia Filler and will face China’s Shasha Liu next. Meanwhile, in wushu, Krizan Faith Collado earned a 2-0 win over Italy’s Elisabetta Sirto in the women’s sanda -52kg event at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium.