SANYA, China – Team Philippines made an immediate impact at the 6th Asian Beach Games, with Alexandria Enriquez delivering a commanding performance to capture the country’s first gold medal on Thursday.
Competing in the women’s 63kg jiu-jitsu category, Enriquez dominated South Korea’s Yeonji Lee in the final, securing a convincing 5–0 win at the Sanya Bay Yuhai Club.
Her gold-medal run was built on consistent control and precision. She opened the tournament with successive submission victories against athletes from China and Thailand, before sealing a finals berth with a hard-fought semifinal win over Shamma Alkalbani, earned via advantage.
The victory marked a breakthrough moment for Enriquez, who is competing in her first major multi-sport event for the Philippines. The Games also mark their return after a decade-long absence.
“I feel so much pride and joy… all glory to God,” she said. “I was born in the Philippines, moved to the US when I was six, and coming back now as an adult and representing the country is a huge honor.”
The Philippines had already been on the podium earlier in the day, thanks to Kaila Napolis, who secured a bronze medal in dramatic fashion. She outlasted Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulumbetova in overtime after a closely fought bout that remained deadlocked in regulation.
In sudden death, Napolis managed to gain the decisive advantage, replicating her podium finish from the 2016 edition of the Games.
“Sobrang nakakakaba, kasi bawal magkamali,” she said, describing the tension of the overtime round.
Elsewhere, Andrea Lois Lao came up short in her bronze medal match, falling 3–0 to Thailand’s Orapa Senatham.
Meanwhile, Myron Mangubat, Maria Ysabel Laureta, and Santino Luis Luzuriaga exited early after first-round defeats.
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