Ramirez beefsup Asiad arsenal

Defending champion Annie Ramirez intends to become hard-to-read when she defends her women’s -52 kilogram gold medal in the 20th Asian Games set from 1 to 3 October at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

With fellow Hangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Meggie Ochoa now retired from national team duties, the responsibility of leading the 15-member Philippine team falls on the shoulders of the 35-year-old Ramirez, who will be seeking a second straight gold medal in the women’s -52-kilogram division.

But Ramirez is not simply relying on the game that brought her to the top.

The veteran grappler said she has continued expanding her arsenal, adding new submissions to make herself more difficult to scout and counter.

“I’m not just adding to my arm bars. I’m also adding my submissions and foot locks. I think I’m getting better,” Ramirez told DAILY TRIBUNE in a recent phone conversation.

“Before, they knew my arm bars, so I became more defensive. Since I learned leg submissions, I can attack in different ways. Now they don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Ramirez will be joined by fellow Hangzhou Games medalist Kaila Napolis as the Philippines looks to remain a major force in jiu-jitsu despite Ochoa’s departure from the national team.

Kimberly Custodio will compete in the women’s -48kg division, while Jollirine Co, Alexandra Enriquez and Andrea Lao will carry the Philippine colors in the women’s -63kg category.

The men’s team, meanwhile, will be headed by a deep roster led by Myron Mangubat and Santino Luzuriaga in the -62kg division.

Marc Alexander Lim and Yman Baluyo will see action in the -69kg class, while Antonio Dy and Mark Constance Vergel will compete in the -77kg division.

Vito Luis Luzuriaga and David Miranda are entered in the -85kg category, while Romeo John Arellano will represent the country in the -94kg division.

For Ramirez, however, the mission goes beyond simply defending the gold she won in Hangzhou.

It will also be about proving she has what it takes to dominate in a different weight category.

“Based on the local trials at 52kg, I felt okay and recovered well. The hardest part was maintaining the weight,” Ramirez said.

“My natural weight is heavier, so I had to make adjustments. As long as I felt good at that weight, everything was okay.”