The Philippine national jiu-jitsu team will compete in the World Championships in the United Arab Emirates as part of its preparation for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

National team coach Allan Co said the athletes said Asian champion Annie Ramirez will banner the squad.

The World Championships will take place at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi from 6 to 9 August.

“On Monday, we’re flying out for the World Championships. After that, athletes like Annie and Mark will train in Atlanta,” Co said.

“I think we can do better this year. The athletes are better prepared, and I believe we can surpass our performance from the last Asian Games.”

Ramirez, who won the gold medal in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, said conditioning will be a priority for her as she is scheduled to fly to the United States on 17 August for training.

“Of course, it’s continuous training, proper nutrition, and support from our sports nutrition and conditioning team. This year, our competition schedule is really heavy, with tournaments less than two weeks apart, followed by a major training camp and another competition,” Ramirez said. Ivan Suing

“Proper training is important. Sometimes you can’t avoid injuries, so you just have to be mentally and physically prepared for that kind of year.”