Napolis wins gold at World Combat Games

JUST weeks after bagging the bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in China, jiu-jitsu fighter Kaila Napolis of the Philippines won a gold medal at the World Combat Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, October 26.

Napolis topped the 52-kilogram women's ne-waza event after defeating Anael Pannetier of France, 2-0, in the final.

Prior to this, she defeated Colombia's Adriana Cruz 6-0 in the quarterfinals and Mongolia's Mongoljin Gaanbaatar via submission in the semifinals.

Asian Games gold medalist Annie Ramirez posted on Facebook that Napolis' gold is a record-breaking moment in Philippine jiu-jitsu history.

Her jiu-jitsu gold medal is the first for the Philippines at the World Combat Games after the wushu team brought home two silvers and two bronze medals.

Agatha Wong and Clemente Tabugara Jr. won silver medals, while Jones Inso and Thornton Sayan delivered the bronze medals in wushu for the Philippines.

Meggie Ochoa, who won a jiu-jitsu gold medal at the 19th Asian Games, also congratulated Napolis in an Instagram story.