Ochoa best Asiad gold hope

Margarita Ochoa FILE PHOTO

Jiujitsu fighter Margarita Ochoa shyly received a bouquet of flowers during the celebration thrown by NLEX president Rod Franco after recently capturing a world title in London.

It was a first for her, and it somehow helped defuse the pressure surrounding Ochoa’s gold-medal bid in the forthcoming Asian Games in Indonesia.

With lone Filipino 2014 Asian Games gold medalist Daniel Caluag of BMX uncertain of coming back, Ochoa is the country’s biggest hope for a hard-earned gold in the continental event that starts Aug. 18.

“Honestly, I don’t think about the pressure too much. Whenever I compete, I just think about God and give my best,” said the 27-year-old Ochoa, who ruled the women’s
-49kg category in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiujitsu World Tour held in London last week.

Hopes are high for Ochoa to deliver in the Asian Games after she and fellow lady grappler Annie Ramirez saved the Philippine campaign with a pair of gold medals in the 2017 Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan.

Ochoa is scheduled to fight in the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiujitsu Championships next month and attend a month-long training camp in San Diego, California.