By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Winning medals is in the blood of mixed martial arts (MMA) siblings Charlie and Travis Ratcliff.
The Ratcliffs fueled the Philippines’ medal drive in the Asian Youth Games as they won a gold and a silver on Saturday, October 25 — their decade-long training in jiu-jitsu under the guidance of mother-coach Maria Aisa paying off.
“It feels wonderful. There are a lot of sacrifices to go up to the medal — the gold medal and the silver medal,” said Negros Occidental’s Calatrava native Charlie, who struck gold in the girls’ 45-kilogram modern MMA class.
“The sacrifices of time management for school and for sports, [they’re] now worth it,” she added.
Before transitioning to MMA, 16-year-old Charlie and 17-year-old Travis started jiu-jitsu at an early age, as they were influenced by their mother, who also won medals for the country as part of the national wrestling team.
In 2023, Maria Aisa scored a pair of golds in the United World Wrestling Asian Grappling Championships, topping the senior gi and senior no-gi divisions.
“Sobrang nakaka-proud kasi ‘yung hirap namin sa training, ‘tsaka lahat ng preparation, lahat ng sacrifices, ngayon nakakuha kami ng gold ‘tsaka silver. Nakaka-proud,” Maria Aisa said.
Charlie blitzed her way to the gold, as she needed just a little over a minute to submit Thailand’s Nakanantaphon Khaihong in the final with a rear naked choke.
Her victory came after Travis missed out on the gold in the boys’ 60-kilogram traditional MMA, absorbing a unanimous decision loss to Iran’s Amirmohammad Hatamianafshari in a nip-and-tuck finale that went to overtime.
“It was a motivation for my brother and my mother. Her sacrifices and his sacrifices — that was the motivation for me,” Charlie said.
“Nakaka-proud po sa amin na nakuha namin ‘yung mga goals namin, kaming dalawa magkapatid, nakakuha ng medal for the country,” Travis said.
In all, the Philippines won three MMA medals in these Games, with Alexander Tagure, Jr. copping bronze in the boys’ 50-kilogram modern MMA./ASC, WDJ