Wrestling, jiu-jitsu chiefs settle differences

MANILA, Philippines -- The country's jiu-jitsu and wrestling associations on Wednesday settled an issue during a meeting with newly reelected Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, clearing the way for both federations to focus on the upcoming Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games (AIMAG).

Tolentino brokered a meeting between wrestling's Alvin Aguilar and jiu-jitsu's Choy Cojuangco over lunch. Both sports employ grappling as one of the most effective techniques, but as they belong to different international federations with respective regulations, there was some tension between the two parties when it comes to their athletes and programs.

Those differences were settled on Wednesday, with Tolentino saying the two national sports associations are now "harmonious and united."

"This is good for the athletes," he added.

"As Filipinos and part of the same POC family, we must all find mutually beneficial grounds regarding our sports," said Aguilar, the president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines. "The goal here is to make all of the sports under our banners as strong as possible." 

"Jiu-jitsu under the JJIF [Jiu-jitsu International Federation] and Grappling under the UWW [United World Wrestling] will co-exist in our country the way it does all over the world," he added. 

"Our respective NSAs each have their own athletes and different programs."

Cojuangco, the president of the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines, stressed that they remain open to any club and are not preventing their members from participating in their events.

"At the end of the day, it's our international federation who has the final say on our respective events," he also said.

The AIMAG is scheduled for May 21 to 30 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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