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By Patrick Lujan

Richard Camacho wins the super heavyweight gold (white belt) for the second year in a row at the Pan Asian Championships. (photo by Andre Gadia)
PASAY CITY, Philippines – The Pan Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championships is quickly becoming one of the Asian region’s popular Jiu-Jitsu tournament as in increased amount of participants from a year ago put their skills on display at the Mall of Asia.
Guam’s Sumika San Nicolas and Richard Camacho were both white belt gold medalists in the first day’s gi competition.
Blue belt studs Drew Palomo and Derrick Calvo both came up just short in their gold medal matches and settled for silver.
Purple Belt
Jeremiah San Nicolas, only 20-years-old and five months into his purple belt career, made a young man’s mistake that cost him the gold medal in the 79kg division.
After two submissions and a win on points in the semifinals, San Nicolas was matched up well against a tough Filipino player.
Then the mistake with the score 4-2.
“It was a technical fight,” San Nicolas said. “I thought I was up and I eased up in the last 30 seconds. I was up on advantages and I was reading (the scoreboard) wrong.”
San Nicolas was trailing 4-2 and not leading. The costly mistake had San Nicolas settling for a silver.
Teammate Kevin Cruz lost his semifinal match in the 69kg division and took home bronze.
Blue Belt
Within a matter of minutes, both Calvo and Palomo were on seperate mats battling for gold.
The 21-year-old Calvo, gold winner of this year’s Marianas Open, cruised through his first couple of matches in the 76kg before his tough Hong Kong opponent in the gold match, where he fell behind in points before succumbing to a kimura.
“I made a little mistake and he took it,” said the Marianas Open gold medal winner. “I couldn’t capitalize on my butt screw.”
Drew Palomo had to take out two Guam opponents (Mark Magpusao and Anton Rosario via armbar) before taking out his first international opponent in the semifinals in the same way. Palomo finally met his match in the gold medal round against a lanky practitioner from Singapore, losing 7-0.
White Belt
Sumika San Nicolas struck gold in the morning matches, going 3-0 with the two last coming via armbar. The 24-year-old Yigo resident said, “It went easier than I thought it would be. It has to be my stamina. I’m a runner so the cross training really helps out.”
San Nicolas added that her dad, who was present for her fights, noticed that her opponents were gasping for air during their bouts.
The Asian Open champion in the rooster division had to compete at a higher level because there were no rooster competitors available.
Super heavyweight Richard Camacho repeated as Pan Asian champion. He went 3-0 with all three matches by points with Camacho on top of his opponents using his weight advantage.
Sean Zervoulakos takes home bronze in his super middleweight division.
NO GI SUNDAY
Kevin Cruz rebounded from a bronze medal performance on Saturday to take the gold in the purple belt 69kg no gi.
Cruz was much quicker in his transition game on all three matches to the gold. In the finals, Cruz was cruising with a 12-2 lead when his Filipino opponent was disqualified for an attempted ankle lock, a move that’s illegal from purple belts and below.
“I was just grinding the whole way out there,” Cruz said after his victory.
Teammate Derrick Calvo also won gold in his no gi blue belt division.
Young Stussy Shiroma won the gold in his kid’s division, winning three matches early Sunday.
Silver medal winners: Jeremiah San Nicolas, Richard Camacho, Sumika San Nicolas and Kisha Onedera.
Bronze medal winners: Jacob Terlaje, Paulette Saure and Chloe Taitano.
PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Derrick Calvo goes for the armbar in his opening blue belt match of the Pan Asian Championships. (photo by Andre Gadia)
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GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

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MMA/Boxing
JONES TO FACE FORMER UFC CHAMPION

Baseball
GECKOS SWING BIG IN SEASON OPENER

Running/Track
GECKOS, SHARKS BUILDING TRACK CONFIDENCE

Baseball
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Basketball
FRIARS TAKE DOWN PANTHERS 74-68
