By AJ Alarcon

Judokas know the importance of a good grip — firm, steady, and unyielding — for it gives them the control to throw, to balance, and to rise again. But beyond what happens on the tatami, that grip grows tighter as the arena erupts in a chorus of support: judokas calling out to their teammates to throw, step back, push, or escape a lock. In that same spirit, the high school team of the Ateneo Judo Association (AJA) held on — gripping tight to their bronzes and silvers — during the Philippine Ultimate Judo Championships (PUJC) International Open, held on October 4 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

During the tournament, Datu Mamaril earned bronze in the cadet division, while senior division players Joaquin Veloso also secured bronze and Miguel Jalit and Eoin Sarapuddin claimed silvers.

Now in its third edition, the event gathered 51 clubs and over 500 entries from across the Philippines and around the world.

Men’s -90kg, Cadet’s Division

Mamaril bowed to Zeus Babanto from the University of Santo Tomas Judo Juniors (STJ) in the quarterfinals, exhausting the 3-minute period with a waza-ari 1 minute and 30 seconds in, and a buzzer beater throw.

Later, in the bronze medal bout against Stephen Valmores (STJ), Mamaril showed greater composure and aggression, pinning Valmores 46 seconds in for an early waza-ari lead. A minute and 37 seconds in, Mamaril threw Valmores for the ippon, sealing the bronze.

“No’ng natalo ako kay Zeus, my first match, sabi ko na babawi na ako,” Mamaril shared, also recognizing the voices who shouted for him from the benches, and the one who sat by the sidelines through the loss and win.

He expressed, “Entering that bronze match, I just made sure na I had a game plan with my captain and my coach, si Gibe. So, to be honest, I’d like to thank my brother too because … he was giving me suggestions for that play.”

Eyeing gold, Mamaril’s bronze wasn’t enough to dampen his spirit, saying, “We’ll settle for a bronze this time … it’s my 10th [competition] and it feels good to be back after being washed for a few months since [it was] summer and off-season kasi.”

Men’s +100kg, Senior’s Division

Meanwhile, Veloso opened strong with a lightning-fast ippon victory over Lev Eseller of the Antipolo Judo Club (ANJ), just 10 seconds into the match.

He later faced Miguel Javier of the University of the Philippines Judo Club (UPJC) in the semifinals but fell to an ippon after being held down and immobile.

In the bronze medal bout, Veloso redeemed himself against Mohammad Haji Ahmad, securing an early grip and finishing with another quick ippon to take the bronze.

Men’s -60kg, Senior Division

Jalit began his campaign with a win over Alvin Olalan of Makiling Judo Club (MKJ), before facing Cebuano bet Adam Capangpangan in the quarterfinals. Jalit ended the match with a powerful back throw for ippon just 13 seconds in.

Striding into the semifinals, Jalit battled AJA teammate Josh Bolipata, scoring two yuko attacks and holding the lead until the buzzer.

In the finals against John Paulo Almeyda from the University of the Philippines Judo Club (UPJC), Jalit endured 2 minutes and 15 seconds of the match before a clean ippon by Almeyda, leaving Jalit with a commendable silver finish.

Men’s -100kg, Senior’s Division

Running on a winning streak, Sarapuddin first beat UPJC’s Justice San Juan with a waza-ari 45 seconds in, followed by a clean throw for the win.

Denver Sugot struggled to overcome Sarapuddin’s great defense during the quarterfinals despite multiple attempts to take him down. With a wazaari to his tally, the timer went off before Sugot could retaliate, ending the match in Sarapuddin’s favor.

With a steady momentum, Sarapuddin went into the semi-finals against Sian Guevarra, who warranted three violations, ending the match with four seconds left to hand the win to Sarapuddin. 

Sarapuddin once again faced judo rival Jacob Torres in the battle for gold, where he struggled to escape Torres’s 20-second pin into ippon, losing the bid for gold and concluding his stint with an impressive silver.

Strength is shared

Throughout the tournament, the AHS judokas never entered the mat alone. By their side was Team Captain Alphonso Gibe, who took a step back from competition after a busy summer season to coach and guide his teammates.

“It was a really big day for my team,” Gibe stated, noting how the senior’s division competitors had to face collegiate-level players but still bagged the medals.

He continued, “This shows how much hard work we’ve been putting into training. Especially in this international event where most of our players were able to go to the finals.Which makes me really proud as a captain.”

Dominating the game with the heart of a Blue Eagle, the captain shared that these Atenean values are what he would always remind the team.

“I would always tell them to put down their ego. I would always tell them that regardless if they win or lose, what matters is that we play with honor and respect, and that we play with class,” he said.

Gibe also shared a reflection on the losses, using them as lessons for better training and preparation ahead the next leg of their competition and their tournament next year under the 88th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

“We have a lot of time, but that time is not to be wasted for us,” he repeated their coach’s words. “This is a really big example of the amount of time we have for preparation not just in the physical aspect, but also in the mental aspect.”

The captain also recognized, “We carry not just our own personal values and morals, but also the morals of our school. And that for me already brings a really big level of gratitude for me and my team.”

From start to finish, the AJA never lost their voices cheering for one another. Competing with honor, courage, and that tight grip, the Atenean judokas held on — to their teammates, to their judogi, and to the spirit of strength that brought them their silver and bronze podiums.