FILIPINO-AMERICAN siblings Saige Isabella Sara and Solomon Xander Jose Gunthorpe once again brought pride to Cebu and the Philippines in general after delivering impressive performances in an international Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament.
Saige bagged two gold medals, while his older brother Solomon won a silver and a bronze in the Grappling Industries International Open last July 15, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.
The nine-year-old Saige topped the Girls’ Greybelt Kid 3 Gi and No Gi divisions, continuing her strong run on the international stage.
The 11-year-old Solomon, on the other hand, won a silver medal in the Boys’ Kid 5 division and a bronze in the No Gi category.
Last month, Saige and Solomon also competed in the prestigious New Jersey Spring Kids International Jiu-Jitsu Championships at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey, USA, where Saige snagged a bronze medal.
“Im so proud of the kids, they were behind in experience but showed heart and grit to win medals against skilled young grapplers from all over the world. This is just the start, they have tournaments lined up for this year and I think they’ll win more,” said Strive CCA coach Lemuel Maglinte, a Cebuano BJJ brownbelt and a former MMA fighter.
The Gunthorpes have been training in BJJ for only seven months under Maglinte and are members of Strive CCA’s kids program.
Maglinte teaches a small team of talented jujiteiros and jujiteiras at Strive CCA. He is hoping that more of his students will follow the Gunthorpes and represent the country in future international tournaments. / EKA
