FILIPINA grappler Yani Alexii Lopez defied the odds and three weight-class jumps to lead the Philippine team to a second-place finish in the 2026 United World Wrestling (UWW) Asian and Oceania Grappling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The 16-year-old Lopez was forced to compete in the women’s 57-kilogram division — three classes higher than the 44kg category where she normally competes — but showed that she was more than capable of handling the challenge.
Lopez secured the gold after edging Malaysia’s Alison Mae Nicolson, 2-1, in the 57kg final. She earlier defeated another Malaysian, Liyanne Hedger, 1-0, in the semifinals.
The two-time Asian champion also expressed her gratitude to her family, parents, coaches and supporters who helped her prepare for the difficult assignment.
Lopez was one of five Filipino athletes who captured gold medals in Da Nang.
The other champions were Charlie Ratcliff (56kg), Travis Ratcliff (62kg), Abe Del Rosario (57kg) and Denzel Alipio (62kg).
The Philippines also collected two silver medals through Lucas Aguilar (66kg) and Nathaniel Nama (63kg), while Alo Turingan (73kg), Lucian Salud (76kg) and Joaquin Marte (66kg) contributed three bronze medals.
The impressive haul of five golds, two silvers and three bronzes was enough to give the Philippines second place in the overall team standings.
Kazakhstan topped the tournament with 17 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals.
