JEAN Claude Saclag walked away with another Asian Games silver medal — but instead of dwelling on the result, the veteran fighter already knows exactly what he needs to work on.
Saclag admitted he was disappointed after being outgrappled by Tajikistan’s Otabek Rajabov in the men’s traditional MMA -65kgs final Tuesday at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center.
The Filipinos’ game plan centered on Saclag’s striking, but Rajabov repeatedly took the fight to the ground and controlled the former wushu athlete throughout the bout.
“Nasasayangan talaga ako. Gusto ko talagang naisip ko, kaya kong mag-gold talaga. Nag-expect ako na kaya kong mag-gold,” said Saclag.
More than the loss itself, Saclag said he was frustrated with his own performance, particularly after realizing his ground game still needs significant improvement.
“Sad ako, hindi dahil sa natalo ako, pero iyung performance ko, parang ako, pulang-pula ako. Akala ko nag-improve na ako sa ground games, pero grabe, ang higpit niya sa baba,” Saclag pointed out.
Saclag even had a chance to finish the fight in the opening round after dropping Rajabov, but admitted his instinct took over and he followed the opening to the ground instead of sticking to the plan.
“Pagtama ko sa kanya, sinigaw ng corner ko, hayaan ko lang siya na tumayo ulit para tumbahin ulit sana, lumabas iyung killer instinct na hindi man lang ako narinig sa corner ko,” he continued.
The defeat gave Saclag his second Asian Games silver, after also finishing runner-up in wushu in 2014.
Saclag believes the setback can become the motivation for his next chapter.
“Kaya itong sakit na ’to, pagbalik ko sa Pilipinas, gamitin ko para mag-improve. Husayan ko pa sa ground,” said Saclag.
And he has already set himself a deadline.
“Give me two to three months, mag-improve iyung ground game ko promise,” he said.
Despite missing out on gold, Saclag remains thankful for another Asian Games podium finish and sees the loss as a clear lesson on what comes next. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
