CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- With a swollen hand after her first fight, Davao City judoka Jenilou Mosqueda endured the pain but she eventually lost the strength to carry on in the finals, thus, copping the silver instead in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2019 women's kurash -57 kilograms division at Laus Group Events Center here Sunday, December 1.
She lost to Thailand's Saowalak Homklin in the championship.
Mosqueda, a veteran of four SEA Games judo competitions, said: "Maga na kamay ko Ma'am after first fight. Hindi ako maka-grip kaya hindi ako makahawak ng maayos dun sa next fight ko (My hand was swollen after my first fight. I can't make a grip, I could not hold properly in my next fight)."
It was the 38-year-old's first attempt in kurash, which she said is far more difficult than playing judo. Kurash, according to her, does not allow grappling; only throwing.
In judo, she added, one has a lot of options to win.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Sydney Sy Tancontian recovered from her first match loss by beating Amanda Mutiara of Thailand in her second fight in women's +70 kg Monday, December 2.
The victory came on the heels of bowing to formidable opponent 2017 Asian Indoors and Martial Arts Games (Aimag) champion Tran Thithanh Thuy of Vietnam, 0-3.
Tancontian, 19, who recently won a bronze medal in the World Youth and Juniors Sambo Championships 2019 at the Sports Complex Uzbekistan, was raring to play sambo in this edition of the SEA Games.
However, her father Paolo, said: "Nagkaroon ng miscommunication sa weight category instead of +80, naging -80 kg di na ma usab, dili na sad makaya ni Sydney mag pa reduce pa ug 10 kg after the Asian and World Championships (There was a miscommunication in the weight category. Instead of +80, it became +70 kg and Sydney could no longer lose 10 kilos after her stints in the Asian and World Championships)."
Thus, Tancontian played kurash only when she could have also competed in sambo.
The former Palarong Pambansa champion trained under Kapatirang Doble Olisi Escrima of Master Mario Palazuelo.
While the national athletes' quarters were still being rehabilitated at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, she along with Dabawenyos Glennon Jhon Malisa and Adelfa Sagne stayed and trained in Davao with Palazuelo at the helm.