Eliecha Zoe Malilay proudly displays the bronze medal that she won at the JJAU-JJIF Youth World Cup in Greece. | Photo from the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu’s jiu-jitsu standout Eliecha Zoe Malilay delivered an impressive performance at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union (JJAU)-Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) Youth World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, securing a bronze medal in the women’s under 21-45 kg division on November 1.
Malilay advanced to the medal rounds with a commanding win over Individual Neutral Athletes’ Arina Zhigacheva, defeating her with a score of 50-0.
In the semifinals, however, Malilay faced Aysha Alshamsi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and came up short in a hard-fought match.
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In the other semifinal bout, UAE’s Mariam Alali prevailed over Colombia’s Laura Sofia Macias Rivera. Both Malilay and Rivera claimed bronze medals, while Alali went on to capture the gold with a victory over Alshamsi in the finals.
Meanwhile, Eliecha’s younger sister, Ellise Xoe Malilay, competed in the under-18 -44 kg category but concluded her run early after a challenging first-round match against UAE’s Meera Alhosani.
UAE’s Alanood Alharbi ultimately claimed gold in this division.
Representing not only the Philippines but also the Atrixion Combat Sports Academy in Dubai, UAE, the Malilay sisters remain among the most accomplished young jiu-jitsu athletes from the Philippines.
The Dubai-based Cebuanas previously achieved world champion status after winning gold at the 14th Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championships in 2022.