Photo for illustrative purposes only. UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation

Margarita Ochoa, a gold medalist from the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, and Kimberly Anne Custodio, a former beauty queen now a fighter, were the top winners at the recent 2022 Ju-Jitsu World Championships in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Filipino fighters won gold medals in the -48kg and -45kg weight categories, respectively. Ochoa defeated Vicky Hoang Ni Ni in the finals, 2-0. She began her campaign with wins over Oana Lupu of Romania, 14-0, in the round of 16, Oleksandra Rusetska of Ukraine, 9-0, in the semifinals, and Abdulkareem Balqees of the UAE, 22-0, in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, Custodio triumphed against Thai player Kacie Pechrada Tan in the championship match, 6-4. Adina Iulia Mihaila of Romania was defeated 9-0 in the round of 16; Sakaew Tadaporn was defeated 14-0 in the semifinals, and Hamdah Al Shkeili of the UAE was defeated 14-0 in the quarterfinals. The eight-man team that competed for the Philippines also included Jenna Kaila Napolis, Ashley Villaret, Myron Mangubat, Jan Cortez, Brendo Pudan, and Philip Alegre joined her. The group competed in the women's -52 kg and -45 kg, as well as in the men's minus -62 kg, -69 kg, and -85 kg. Previously, Ochoa triumphed in back-to-back SEA Games, taking home gold in the women's minus 48 kg division in Manila in 2019 and the Vietnam SEA Games in 2022. Custodio also previously won the bronze medal at the 2019 Asian Championships in Mongolia. BKM/ Expat Media
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