UST Golden Judoka Sydney Sy Tancontian dominated the women’s +80 kg category of the 2022 Asian Sambo Championships in Jounieh, Lebanon on June 4.
Tancontian secured gold after trouncing seasoned opponent Arailym Abenova of Kazakhstan in the tournament’s senior division, 5-0.
“Very happy po ako na nagbunga ‘yung hard work and ‘yung training overseas since October last year pa,” Tancontian told the Varsitarian.
It also marked Tancontian’s redemption of her loss to Abenova in the round 16 of the +80 kg division of the 2021 World Sambo Championships.
“I think magandang bagay po na mag-review ng mga dating laro and kung ano ‘yung mga maling ginawa ko no’ng last match namin, so nakatulong siya sa ‘kin to perform better than her ngayon,” she said.
Abenova settled for silver while Uzbekistan’s Nigina Khujaeva and Turkmenistan’s Maksuda Egemberdiyeva bagged bronze.
It was Tancontian’s second gold medal in the same event, as she ruled the 2019 Asian Juniors Sambo Championships in New Delhi, India.
The Thomasian samboist recently reaped the silver medal in kurash women’s +87kg category of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
