HANGZHOU - Jiu-jitsu delivered a second gold medal for Team Philippines in the 19th Asian Games through Annie Ramirez who beat Galina Duvanova of Kazakhstan.
Annie Ramirez bags gold in Asiad jiujitsu
Ramirez, 32, won over her Kazakh foe, 2-0, in the women's 57 kg class, nailing the winning score in the final seconds of their five-minute match at the XSL gymnasium on Friday.
The victory came a day after Meggie Ochoa gave jiu-jitsu its breakthrough gold in the quadrennial meet by ruling the women 48 kg class.
Overall, the country has now won a total of three golds including the one won by pole vaulter EJ Obiena a week ago.
Ramirez had Duvanova's numbers as she now has a 3-1 record against Kazakhstan in their head-to-head match up.
The lone loss came during last year's World Games in Birmingham, USA.
"Masakit yung pagkatalo ko na iyon. Pero somehow nakabawi ako (sa kanya) sa isang multi-sport, kasi yung tinalo ko sa kanya mga championship lang," said the former judoka from University of Santo Tomas and coached by Filipino judo legend John Baylon.
"Pero mas mabigat ito, kasi hirap tayong mag-gold dito. So masarap sa pakiramdam ito."
In winning the gold, the Filipina three-time world champion beat by advantage Le Thi Thuong of Vietnam in the Round-of-16, Fiona Toh of Singapore by points, 7-0, in the quarterfinals, and Shamsa Alameri of United Arab Emirates via submission in the semifinals.
Her gold medal somehow also helped her overcame her anxiety brought about by a ninth place finish in the last edition of the Asiad in Palembang, Indonesia five years ago.
"Nagkaroon ako ng anxiety after the Asian Games 2018 kasi sobra kong dinibdib yun," said Ramirez, admitting she extensively prepared for the meet by training hard and spending her own money just to get her in perfect shape to win the gold.
Unfortunately, the jiujitsu fighter didn't get the result she wanted.
"First fight pa lang talo na ako nun," she recalled. "Hindi ko rin kasi weight category yun. Pero hindi ko nire-reason out yun.
"But this time, nabigyan ako ng chance, weight category ko. And I think prinepare sa akin ni God ito. I feel hinanda niya ito para sa akin."
Earlier, Jenna Napolis bagged the bronze by beating Hessa Alsham of United Arab Emirates in the women's 52 kg class.
Napolis, the reigning Asian champion, won by the score of 4-2.
In all, jiu-jitsu has already won two golds and one bronze in its campaign, with one more day of competition left.
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