Filipino mixed martial artist Jean Claude Saclag has secured a spot in the finals of the men's traditional -65kg category at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Saclag triumphed over Japan's Daisuke Murayama with a decisive 3-0 victory in the semifinals.
Aiming for Historic Gold
I'm used to competing in the finals but I'm more inspired because Asian Games is different. I need to hit him while also maintaining my distance and keeping him from doing his takedowns because he's good at it. If we could do that, then we're going to win.
Jean Claude Saclag, Filipino MMA Fighter
Saclag's success comes as the Philippines aims for its first-ever gold medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games, which is hosting this sport for the first time. His teammate, Carlos Alvarez, secured a bronze medal in the traditional -77kg semifinals.
In the broader competition, the Philippines has already garnered two medals. The first was a bronze from the women's soft tennis team, while swimmer Kayla Sanchez set a national record in the women's 50m backstroke.
Sanchez clocked in at 28.24 seconds, surpassing her previous national record of 28.47 seconds. Her teammate Teia Salvino and Xiandi Chua also advanced to the finals in their respective events.
In gymnastics, Carlos and Eldrew Yulo excelled in the individual all-around competition, with Carlos scoring 77.264 points and Eldrew 75.465 points, both qualifying for the finals.
The Philippine 3x3 basketball team kicked off their campaign with a 19-12 win over Mongolia, while the men's baseball team achieved a commanding 12-0 victory against Palestine.