DESPITE the training challenges posed by the pandemic, national judo coach Gilbert Ramirez is optimistic all 17 members of the national team — 10 men and 17 women — are capable of bringing home medals from the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May.
“Nasubaybayan ko po ‘yong training ng mga athletes na ‘yan. Nakita ko yong pag-hihirap nilang dinaanan. So like last the 2019 SEA Games, lahat sila makakapag-medal. Hindi bibigay ang mga bata natin sa kalaban agad,” Ramirez said yesterday in the Philippine Sports Commission’s online program.
Joining Ramirez in the PSC’s “People Sports Conversations” webcast were Philippine Judo Federation Judo Alexander “Ali” Sulit and judokas Jayvee Ferrer and RC Gimena, former UAAP varsity champions bruited to be among the national squad’s top homegrown gold prospects.
“Our local judokas have been proven to be resourceful even during the pandemic and I believe that this situation has made them even tougher not only physically and mentally,” the coach, a three-time SEA Games gold medalist, said.
“I have full confidence in our coaching staff led by Ramirez and our judokas as they try to scale new heights for Philippine judo in the SEA Games in Hanoi despite the challenges locally during this pandemic,” Sulit said.
Sulit and Ramirez could not say if the judokas would be able to duplicate the three gold, one silver and nine bronze medals the country won in the regional meet three years ago but said they would not be pushovers.
“Iba ang puso ng judoka. Nasa training namin ‘yan, kahit ilang beses kami ibato, tatayo at tatayo pa rin kami,” the judo chief stressed.
A former UP varsity standout, Gimena said she is eager to make her mark in her SEA Games debut in the women’s minus 63kg class in the Vietnamese capital after circumstances beyond her control forced her to skip the 2019 edition held in the country.
“Talagang gutom po ako after not being able to compete for the national team three years ago. Kaya gagawin ko ang lahat ng kailangan para manalo ng gold medal,” said the Iligan City native, who will also be competing in the kata event in a team-up with Andrea Camille Divina.
