GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Charlie Ratcliff won a gold and a bronze medal in the Batang Pinoy 2025 jiu-jitsu here just days after she reigned supreme in modern MMA at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.
Ratcliff copped the gold in the juvenile girls Gi 16-17 -48kg featherweight division on Tuesday, and a bronze in the juvenile girls No Gi 16-17 in the same weight category in bouts held at the Lagao Central Elementary School Gym.
READ Ratcliff wins Philippines' second medal at AYG
To do so, the 16-year-old had to overcame fatigue after traveling from Bahrain to General Santos City.
Ratcliff, based in Calatrava, Negros Occidental but competing for the Quezon City LGU, said the Batang Pinoy was already part of her schedule.
“It feels amazing and not so stressed. But I’m okay,” said Ratcliff in an interview before she competed on Wednesday.
“I left Bahrain on [October] 26 and came here 27, maybe. Maybe I had jetlag when I arrived, but not today, I have a fight,” said the Grade 12 at Colegio de Santo Tomas.
Ratcliff beat Rafaella Isabel Sumera of Quezon City, 3-0, in the Gi gold medal bout. She also won over Denicah Louise Untalan, 7-0, in the quarterfinals, and Raesee Margarette Reyes, 6-0, in the semifinals.
In the No Gi, Ratcliff beat Jenalyn Bayubay of Baguio City, 18-0, in the quarterfinals, but was defeated by Untalan in the semifinals by disqualification.
Ratcliff took up the sport of jiu-jitsu through her mother and coach Maria Aisa, a former member of the wrestling national team, when she was six years old.
Though she didn’t sweep her events in the Batang Pinoy, it didn’t dampen her happiness of the past few days.
“I was preparing for it. I was honored that I win gold in the Asian Youth Games. I’m super happy,” said Ratcliff.
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