PH jiu-jitsu team wraps up Asian Games bid as Andrea Lao misses podium
FILE–Philippines’ athletes and team officials arrive during the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
HANGZHOU, China—Andrea Lois Lao dropped her bronze-medal contest against South Korea’s Hee Joo Choi that closed out the country’s successful bid in jiu jitsu at the 19th Asian Games here.
Choi took advantage of the penalties slapped on Lao, prevailing 4-0, in their battle for third in the women’s -63kg category on Saturday at the Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium.
The 26-year-old Lao, a silver medalist during 2019 Asian championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, submitted Muhra Mahfoodh of the United Arab Emirates in the repechage to earn a crack at Choi.
Lao earlier toppled Jordan’s Yara Kakish in the round of 16 but fell prey to Kazakhstan’s Marian Urdabayeva, 0-3, in the quarters.
Filipino jiu jitsu grapplers pocketed two gold medals from Meggie Ochoa (-48kg) and Annie Ramirez (-57kg) and a bronze from Kaila Napolis (-52kg).
