Tiger Judoka Chino Sy returned to the international scene, winning the silver medal in the -100-kilogram category of the 2025 Gold Coast Oceania Open on Nov. 2 in Queensland, Australia.
Sy lost to Great Britain’s Oliver Barratt in the finals after being ahead in the first two minutes of the match through a waza-ari, only to succumb late to the Briton’s ippon, settling for silver.
The medal is set to propel Sy to the top of the national judo rankings, with the tournament’s Grand Prix points boosting his standing once results are released later this year.
“I am actually overflowing with emotion at this moment,” he told the Varsitarian. “I am happy and proud to win the silver medal at this prestigious and big tournament pero I really wanted to get the gold medal, yet I fell short of achieving that.”
The tournament marked Sy’s return to international judo after competing in sambo tournaments over the past year.
Judo primarily emphasizes throws and takedowns, while sambo allows for a wider range of grappling attacks and grips. The two sports are similar but differ in technique.
The win also opens doors for Sy to compete in key tournaments next year, including Olympic qualifiers and the World Championships, where only the world’s top 100 judokas earn a spot.
“I have a good ranking so I’m on pace na makakalaro sa world championships next year. During that time din, counted na ang points for Olympic qualifying tournaments, he said.
“Dahil po doon, for next year mas maraming p’wedeng laruan na competition that will earn me points to qualify (for the Olympics).”
This year, Sy has turned his focus to earning judo points to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Last June, the 24-year-old received the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship from the International Olympic Committee, through the Philippine Olympic Committee, to support his bid for the Olympic judo qualifiers en route to the Olympic Games.
“Proud ang mga coaches and the team na one of them is on his way to becoming a true contender for the 2028 Olympics,” Tiger Judokas head coach Steve Esteban told the Varsitarian.
Sy is a five-time UAAP champion in sambo and judo, an MVP in Season 85, and a gold medalist in sambo at the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at age 19.
Sy will compete in his final year of eligibility in Season 88 in February, following his SEA Games stint in December.
