Jiu-Jitsu fighter Annie Ramirez will focus more on training rather than the competitions in preparation for the Southeast Asian Games that will be held in the Philippines this year.
Ramirez said this is what she learned following a disappointing campaign in the previous Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia, where she lost her opening round match.
“Of course I’ll still compete in different tournaments, although I’ll choose the competitions that I’ll be joining this year. I want to focus more on my training for the SEA Games,” said Ramirez.
“That’s the valuable lesson I learned after my stint in the Asian Games. I joined a total of six tournaments prior to the Asian Games, so the plan now is more focus on training and competition,” she added.
According to Ramirez, she is set to join the national team at the Abu Dhabi International Jiu-Jitsu Championship in April. She hopes to get a podium finish for the first time in two years.
Ramirez won a bronze medal when she first joined the tournament in 2016 but failed to capture a medal the next two years.
From the 62kg category she competed in the Asian Games, she opted to return to her previous division of 55kg in last weeks Manila International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship and will remain in the same category in the Abu Dhabi event and the SEA Games.
Ramirez said that the national team is considering either Japan or the US as a venue for training camp in preparation for the SEA Games. This will be her first time competing as a Jiu-Jitsu fighter. She previously competed for judo during the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.
“I don’t want to put pressure on myself, I think that’s what happened during the Asian Games,” said Ramirez.
“I was heartbroken after the Asian Games competition because of the result, but I returned to training after that, focusing more on mental toughness, strengthening, and conditioning,” she added. sports.mb.com
