Jiu-jitsu gives PH 3rd gold in Hangzhou Asian Games

JIU-JITSU fighter Annie Ramirez on Friday handed the Philippines its third gold medal in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Ramirez defeated Kazakhstan's Galina Duvanova, 2-0, in the final of the women's 57-kilogram division.

The 32-year-old Ramirez opened her campaign with a victory over Le Thi Thuong of Vietnam in the Round of 16 via advantage.

She followed it up with a victory against Singapore's Fiona Toh, 7-0, in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Ramirez dispatched Shamsa Alameri of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via submission to book a ticket to the gold-medal round.

She is the second Filipino jiu-jitsu player to bag a gold in the Hangzhou Games. The first was two-time world jiu-jitsu champion Margarita «Meggie» Ochoa, who ruled the 48 kg category on Thursday.

On September 30, Ernest John «EJ» Obiena secured the country's first gold medal by setting a new Asian Games record in the pole vault at 5.75 meters.

Another Filipino jiu-jitsu fighter, Jenna Napolis, took the bronze in the women's 52 kg division. Napolis defeated Hessa Alshamsi of the UAE via points, 4-2.

Napolis defeated Kazakhstan's Kristina Zhurabekova in the Round of 16, and Park Jeong-hye of South Korea in the quarterfinals before losing to Asma Alhosani of the UAE in the semifinals, which led to her faceoff with Alshamsi, who defeated Filipino Mariella Rafael in the Round of 16.

Gerard Gallos also exited early after losing in his first match via points to Mongolia's Batbayar Batsukh.

As of Friday, the Philippine jiu-jitsu team now has two gold medals and a bronze, with Andrea Lois Lao (women's 63 kg) and Dean Michael Roxas (men's 85 kg) set to compete on Saturday.