Zack Joven’s comeback victory in judo in Batang Pinoy ’24

In the Batang Pinoy 2024 competitions, Zack Joven made a comeback by securing the silver medal in judo in the Cadet 15-17 years old individual (50 kg) category, held at Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan.

It was not the first time for Zack to compete in the prestigious sporting activity because every year, he would be on the mat, defending and maneuvering his way to one goal – winning.

Encouraged by his parents to give sports a try, Zack started training in judo at the age of nine and since then, has continued to gain achievements in the discipline with the help of his coaches, teammates and even opponents.

He shared that his usual training consisted of regular sessions with his coaches Tuesdays and Thursdays, while on Saturdays, he focuses on conditioning his physical strength and mental state and jogs on Wednesdays to add to his training.

Zack admitted that he had difficulty balancing training with academic responsibilities. “I really had a hard time, I constantly kept doubting my skills, whether or not I could actually win something,” he said.

Despite feeling down, he does his homework after class or at the training hall, to make sure that it won’t hinder his studies.As a back-to-back participant in Batang Pinoy, winning the silver medal meant a lot to him after his loss during Batang Pinoy 2023.

Zack reminds himself to not give up and continuously improve his skills and is really proud of himself on how far he has progressed in the sport.

Zack said the rigorous training he underwent greatly improved his physical ability compared to Batang Pinoy 2023.

Now, as he prepares for the Batang Pinoy 2025, he urged those who are interested in judo to join and shared a short message for those who are afraid to try.

“Just have fun, if you want to join, you can. Don’t feel nervous or [be] shy, just have fun here and enjoy every single moment of it,” he said.

This year’s Batang Pinoy 2025 was held at General Santos City. – Jaeda Pad-eng/PIO-intern/Gaby Keith