RATCLIFF BLITZES TO GOLD IN 63 SECONDS AT AYG
26 October 2025
SAKHIR, Bahrain — It took barely a minute for Charlie Ratcliff to establish dominant position, finishing off Nakanantaphon Khaihong with a neck crank in their gold medal bout in girls’ mixed martial arts in the Asian Youth Games on Saturday at Exhibition World Bahrain.
The crowd hadn’t even settled into their seats — the referee stopped the fight with a minute and 57 seconds left in the first round — when Ratcliff was declared the winner of the girls’ 45kg class in modern MMA, delivering the Philippines’ second gold medal in the sports meet.
The 16-year-old Ratcliff, from Calatrava in Negros Occidental, joined pesilat Kram Airam Carpio of Santa Cruz in Laguna as gold medalists for the Philippines.
Charlie’s brother Travis earlier wound up with the silver medal in the boys’ traditional MMA 60kg class, with Iran’s Hatamianafshari Amirmohammad taking the gold by unanimous decision.
“This gold medal was expected,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who is overseeing the Philippine participation in the AYG for the first time.
“There was no doubt—we would surpass the previous haul,” Tolentino said, referring to the haul of two gold and three silver medals in Nanjing in 2012.
“And we still have a lot of potential winners. Meron pa tayong volleyball. Volleyball tahimik lang yan pero andyan lang yan. We still have boxing, weightlifting—marami pang pagkukunan, pati jiujitsu.”
Philippine delegation Chef de Mission Ramon “Tats” Suzara was pleased to see the medal haul gaining momentum, noting that this should ease the pressure on the rest of the team rather than add to it.
“I always tell our players—in volleyball and in other sports—to just have fun. Don’t let the pressure get to you. Especially for our young athletes: when you play, play like you’ve got nothing to lose. Just enjoy the game. Ganun lang lagi.”
In muay, Jan Brix Ramiscal (16–17) and Zeth Gabriel Bueno (14–15) reached the Wai Kru finals, securing at least bronze medals for the Philippines.
Ramiscal scored 9.17; Bueno, 9.03. Ramiscal also made the mixed team Mai Muay finals, guaranteeing a second medal.
Iyesha Blair Bituin is assured of bronze in girls’ -51kg combat (16–17), facing Cambodia’s Sreypenh Om in the semifinals.
Lyrie Anie Ngina (14–15) and Jasmine Dagame (16–17) also secured virtual bronze in Wai Kru, with gold still possible.
At Bahrain National Stadium, Pi Durden Wangkay qualified for the boys’ 200m final with a 22.22-second run in the heats.
Naomi Cesar (2:19.74) and Mia Guillergan (2:20.09) advanced in the girls’ 800m, placing second and fourth, respectively, in heats.
