DABAWENYA Southeast Asian (SEA) Games kurash bronze medalist Sydney Sy Tancontian, a college freshman at the University of Santo Tomas, pulled off a surprise in her senior division debut by clinching a gold medal and romping away with the Rookie of the Year (ROTY) award in the just-concluded University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 women’s judo competition at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, March 1.

The 20-year-old Tancontian, who is currently taking a course in Sports Wellness and Management, defeated her UST teammate Risa dela Cruz in the women’s +78 kilograms category via Hansokumake (three penalties) in the championship match after beating University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman bet Jubelle Vergara via two Waza-ari (half point), which is equivalent to an Ippon (full point), in their semifinals clash.

She admitted that playing against dela Cruz was more challenging but she felt more pressure during the semifinals opposite Vergara as she badly needed to win it.

“I’m happy po for the (ROTY) award kasi nung nasa high school division po ako, di po ako nakatanggap nun. Isa po siya sa magiging motivation ko to strive harder and maging magandang role model as an athlete,” she told SunStar Davao in a Facebook interview yesterday, March 3.

(I’m happy for the award because when I am in high school, I did not received it. It is one of my motivation to strive harder and to become a good role model as an athlete.)

She also had two UAAP Junior Division Judo golds to her credit.

Tancontian, selected as one of the members of the Athletes Commission of International Sambo Fédération (Fias) 2020 to 2024, pocketed bronze medals in the World Youth and Juniors Sambo Championships 2019 at the Sports Complex Uzbekistan; 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships in Chungju, South Korea in September 2019; World Sambo Championships 2018 held in Bucharest, Romania; and in the 2019 Sambo World Cup Kharlapiev Memorial Competition in Moscow, Russia in March 2019.

She is expected to compete in the Sambo World Sambo Cup on March 20 to 22 in Moscow, Russia; World Beach Sambo Championships on April 24 to 26 in Cyprus; Asian Sambo Championships on June 19 to 21 in Bali, Indonesia; World Youth and Junior Sambo Championships; and World Senior Sambo Championships and Sambo Grand Prix.

Her younger brother Chino, meanwhile, salvaged a bronze in men’s judo 81-kg division also in his first year in the seniors division. He got a judo gold in UAAP Juniors Division last year.