Jiu-jitsu athlete Eliecha Malilay bags bronze in UAE debut

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Eliecha Zoe Malilay made a solid return to competition in the United Arab Emirates, securing a bronze medal in the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) Tour 1000.

The Cebuana jiu-jitsu world champion, who is now based in Dubai, marked her first international outing this year with a podium finish in the 49-kilogram women’s gi division.

While she fell short of a title run, Malilay managed to salvage a bronze after a hard-fought campaign in the prestigious international tournament held recently in Abu Dhabi.

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Malilay dropped her first two matches, bowing to Farah Al Hamoui via a tight 2-4 decision then enduring a submission loss to Alaonoud Ibraheem.

A jiu-jitsu star reconnects with competition

She, however, bounced back strongly in her final bout, when she outlasted Zara Aldaheri with a commanding 17-2 win to clinch the bronze medal.

For Malilay, the experience meant more than the results.

She reconnected with a familiar competitive environment in the UAE, where she has spent much of her training and family life. She is also a student-athlete at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

“I’m really happy to finally compete again here in the UAE, which my family and I truly consider home. This country has treated us so well throughout the years, and it always feels special competing in front of people who have supported my journey. Of course, Cebu will always be the OG home forever, but the UAE has definitely become a second home to us,” Malilay said.

‘Showing up better than before’

Despite the setbacks in the early rounds, she said that the tournament served as an important learning moment as she prepares for a busier competitive calendar ahead.

“I’ll definitely go back to the drawing board and continue improving. I think that’s part of being an athlete, accepting both the wins and the mistakes, learning from them, and showing up again better than before,” she added.

Malilay, a member of the Philippine national team, continues to split her training between Manila and Dubai. She trains under Carpe Diem Manila and the Combat Sports Team in the UAE.

Next international competition in July

She expressed gratitude to her coaches and teams for their continued support, including Coach Edman Pole in the UAE.

“I also want to thank my team in the Philippine National Team, my team at Carpe Diem Manila, Coach Kim (Custodio) and Coach Myron (Mangubat), and the Combat Sports team for always supporting me throughout my training and journey. Having people who continuously believe in and push me to improve means a lot,” she said.

Malilay is setting her sights on her next assignment in Kazakhstan this July, which will be her second international competition of the year.

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