SANYA, China — Alexandria Enriquez won the Philippines’ first gold medal at the 6th Asian Beach Games after defeating South Korea’s Yeonji Lee, 5-0, in the women’s 63kg jiu-jitsu final at Sanya Bay Yuhai Club.
Enriquez, a US-based Filipino athlete, secured the victory after a dominant performance in her debut appearance in a multi-sport event representing the Philippines. She advanced to the final after a series of wins, including submission victories over competitors from China and Thailand and a semifinal win by advantage against Shamma Alkalbani.
Her gold medal followed an earlier podium finish by teammate Kaila Napolis, who earned bronze in the women’s division after defeating Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulumbetova in overtime in the bronze medal match.
Napolis said the match was tightly contested, going into sudden death after both athletes were level at the end of regulation time, before she secured the deciding advantage.
The Asian Beach Games returned after a 10-year hiatus, with the Philippines opening its campaign with early medals in jiu-jitsu competition.