At A Glance
- The three-time world and Asian champion will be competing in the women's -52kg -- a lower weight division from -57kg where she won the gold medal in the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, as well as the three gold medals she clinched in the 2026 Abu Dhabi and 2025 Bangkok world championships.
Annie Ramirez seeks a second straight Asian Games gold medal. (File Photo/ Annie Ramirez Facebook)
Annie Ramirez guns for a second straight gold medal when she spearheaded the Philippine jiu-jitsu team in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan next month.
The three-time world and Asian champion will be competing in the women’s -52kg -- a lower weight division from -57kg where she won the gold medal in the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, as well as the three gold medals she clinched in the 2026 Abu Dhabi and 2025 Bangkok world championships.
She is embracing the challenge of having to go down the weight class, where she will also compete against teammates and 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist Kaila Napolis.
Also bannering the team is four-time world champion Kimberly Custodio, who will be debuting in the regional meet.
Like Ramirez, the 39-year-old Custodio will be competing in a different weight class at women’s -48kg, three kilograms heavier than the -45kg division where she won the world championships.
Also competing in the women’s division are Jollirine Co (-48kg), and Alexandra Enriquez and Andrea Lao (-63kg).
Completing the cast are men’s standouts Myron Mangubat and Santino Luzuriaga (-62kg), Marc Alexander Lim and Yman Baluyo (-69kg), Antonio Dy and Mark Constance Vergel (-77kg), Vito Luis Luzuriaga and David Miranda (-85kg), and Romeo John Arellano (-94kg).