BELIEVE it or not, back-to-back Southeast Asian Games women’s jiujitsu champions Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez may wind up competing like WWE wrestlers in the 32nd Cambodia Southeast Games next month.
“Both Meggie and Annie will be fighting in the no gi (no kimono) division,” said national coach Stephen Camphuis (pronounced camphouse) of the Cambodian change in the sport.
“They (the Cambodians) are very clever how they do it.”
On top of competing in the event sans the traditional kimono, Camphuis said Ochoa, a two-time world champion in the -48kg division, is seeing action in the 52kg class.
“It is a challenge for her (Ochoa) for sure in fighting above her natural body weight, which is either -48 and -45kg. It is going to be a real challenge fighting in a weight she is unfamiliar with,” the New Zealand-born coach added.
Given her championship mettle, Camphuis expects Ochoa to excel in the new weight class “because she is an outstanding athlete. Her mental strength and mindset are amazing.”
He also expects Ramirez, like Ochoa a silver medalist in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to do well in the women’s no-gi division.
“You can also include Mark Alexander Lim among our gold medal contenders since he is familiar in competing without a gi,” Camphuis said of Lim, a silver medalist in the men’s 69kg of the 2019 Philippine Games.
Jen Ortiz, who will see action in the women’s -42kg gi division, will also be among the athletes to watch, he added.
“Actually, we believe that all athletes we will be sending to Cambodia have a strong chance in winning gold, although the teams from Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore have vastly improved,” the coach bared.
He disclosed that aside from the traditional combat or sparring events, the Filipinos are also entered in the duo and stunt events of jiujitsu.
“The duo is like forms or kata in other combat sports such as karate and judo, and we might have some chance there,” Camphuis said.
Filipino jiujitsu fighters brought home two gold, two silver and three bronzes from the Vietnam Games, and, if all goes according to plan, could exceed that haul and contribute to the Philippine medal drive.
The sport will be among the early disciplines to unfold before the formal opening on May 5 at the Morodok Techno National Stadium, with action beginning on May 4 before resuming on May 6 and 7.
