A sport that barely existed in the Philippines a few years ago just delivered three gold medals on home soil — and beat Kazakhstan, one of sambo’s traditional powerhouses, to do it. The Filipino national team closed out the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, with a flourish yesterday as Aislinn Agnes Yap captured the third and final gold of a stunning home campaign, capping a tournament that saw a once-fledgling program announce itself on the regional and global stage.

A Golden Sweep Built on Knockouts and Grit

In front of an electric hometown crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Yap took down bull-strong Kazakh veteran Zamzagul Faizollanova midway through their bout to seal a tight 1-0 decision, successfully defending her women’s -80-kilogram combat sambo crown. The win briefly went under review after Yap’s camp filed a protest over the pin-down, but officials confirmed the call after studying the tape, locking in the host nation’s third gold.

That capped a two-day run that began with two statement victories the night before. World No. 7 Jomary Torres delivered the highlight of the tournament, landing a picture-perfect right roundhouse kick to the head of Kazakhstan’s Zhadyra Paiyz just seconds into their women’s 50kg combat sambo final. With Paiyz left glassy-eyed and on her knees, the referee waved off the fight, handing Torres an 8-0 knockout win — after which the Filipina immediately checked on her fallen opponent, a moment of sportsmanship that drew praise from coaches and fans alike. Riding that momentum, Aumagel Princess Cortez followed with a dominant 9-2 win over Kazakhstan’s Mervet Berdhinakova in the women’s 59kg combat sambo division, giving the Philippines back-to-back golds in a single night.

Heartbreak, Heart and a Program Built From Nothing

Not every story ended in celebration. Defending women’s +80kg champion Sydney Sy fell 0-6 to familiar rival and former world champion Arailym Abenova of Kazakhstan, while newcomer Jasmaine Henryk Ching dropped a submission loss to Kazakhstan’s Gulo Almukhanbetova in the women’s -54kg sport sambo finals. Sy, who organized much of the tournament’s logistics herself while barely training as her father — national sambo chief Paolo Tancontian — recovered in the hospital, fought back tears after the loss. “I really, really wanted to win but it was not my day,” she said, comforted by her brother, Chino. Still, she found pride in the bigger picture: “I am proud of how national team performed because we won three golds and saw how our sport practically grew from nothing.”

That sentiment captured the larger story of the championships. The Philippines finished with three gold, three silver and eight bronze medals, placing fifth overall among 22 competing nations — a dramatic improvement on a program that managed just two golds in previous outings. For Torres, a 30-year-old former MMA fighter from Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, and the most experienced member of the national team, the gold represented a personal turning point. “Malaki ang paghihirap ko na manalo ito kaya masarap ang feeling ko na makuha ang gold,” she said. National team head coach Ace Larida echoed the sentiment, calling Torres “the complete package” and saying she had “come full circle” to claim a well-deserved victory.

Sambo federation chief Paolo Tancontian, watching his daughter and the rest of the squad compete while recovering from illness, was effusive about both the results and the Philippines’ ability to successfully host an international championship for the first time. “We proved once again we are among Asia — and the world’s — best,” Tancontian said. With a homegrown program now boasting world-ranked talent and a tournament-hosting résumé to match, the federation has already set its sights on the next frontier: the Sambo World Championships.