Photo courtesy of Annie Ramirez/Instagram
Aside from tennis icon Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala and pole-vaulter Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena, more and more Filipino athletes are making their name in the global stage and two-time world champion Annie Ramirez is one of them as she struck gold at the just-concluded 10th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Even at 35-years-old and competing against younger opponents, Ramirez dominated the adults jiu-jitsu female -57kg competitions, adding another title to her already golden name in the sport.
Ramirez, who hails from Muntinlupa City, led five Filipino medalists in the tournament, namely Joanne Pauline Tan, who grabbed the silver in the adults jiu-jitsu female -70kg, and Dylan Chrystle Reign Valmores who took the bronze in adults jiu-jitsu female +70kg.
Teammates Eliecha Zoe Malilay and Emily Rosalynn Thomas also had bronze finishes in the adults jiu-jitsu female -45kg and -57kg divisions, respectively.
Jiu-Jitsu Federation of the Philippines president Ferdie Agustin took pride in the accomplishments of its athletes: “To our incredible athletes: we are beyond grateful for the relentless hard work, early mornings, and sacrifices you poured into this tournament.”
“Every drop of sweat on the mats represents your unwavering dedication to jiu-jitsu. You left it all out there and represented the Philippines with absolute pride!” Agustin enthused as he cited that the national team’s triumph in Kazakhstan “is merely a stepping stone” and the federation is “incredibly optimistic about the upcoming competitions.”
Next in line for the team is the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, slated from August 6 to 9.
