Sungira to compete in women’s 63kg jiu-jitsu at Asian Games next month
Sung Gira (above) demonstrates one of jiu-jitsu’s pressure techniques, the “neon valley,” at the Kookmin University
Martial Arts Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where the national jiu-jitsu team trains. Sung Gira, who won South
Korea’s first gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games when jiu-jitsu first became an official Asian Games
event, 토토사이트 will try to make it two in a row at the Hangzhou Games next month.
“I will win gold with my refined ‘modern jiu-jitsu'”
Sung Gira (26-photo) had the air of a defending champion on his face when we met recently at the national jiu-jitsu
team’s training center at Kookmin University Budokan in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. It was at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang
Games that jiu-jitsu became an official Asian Games sport, and it was Sungira who won gold in the women’s 62kg
category. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, which kick off next month, the weight classes will change and Sungira
will try to win gold in the women’s 63-kilogram category.
The Hangzhou Asian Games will be held a year later than planned due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in China. While that might have made it harder to stay in shape, Sungira said, “For me personally, it’s actually better.” At the 2018 Games, Sungira tore a ligament in her right knee in the first round of her bout and ended up on the operating table after winning gold. It took her two years to fully recover from the surgery. By the time she recovered from her injury, she hadn’t gained much practice experience due to a series of tournaments being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this situation, the postponement of the competition was not a year lost, but a year gained.
“Until my early 20s, I would beat myself up in training and competitions to the point of ‘grinding’,” says Sengira. “I wanted to stay fit and healthy for a long time, so I sought out experts and started to learn how to take care of my body systematically.” Sengira had surgery on his left collarbone, left elbow, and other nagging injuries to address the underlying issues, while learning mobility, stretching, and functional training to improve his flexibility and strength. “If you look at my previous game, I was stiff and clunky,” says Sungira. Now, I feel like I have a smooth technique in any position,” he said.
Another motivating factor for Sungira was that she was able to prepare for the Asian Games at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village, unlike five years ago when she had to train at a private dojo. The national jiu-jitsu team only trains at Kookmin University every Wednesday, with the rest of the week spent at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village. 스포츠토토 “It’s my first time training in such a nice facility,” says Sungira. Seeing the athletes from other sports sweating has given me a lot of positive energy.”
What makes the Asian Games even more special for Sungira is her family. Even when she first started practicing jiu-jitsu in 2013 and won medals at various national and international competitions, her family was against it, saying they were “worried about her getting hurt.” However, when she competed in the Asian Games under the Taekwondo flag, her family began to support her. “I have a plan to do it for another 10 years and then retire,” says Sungira. I have three chances to compete in the Asian Games, including this one, and I want to stay healthy and win,” she said.
Heading into Jakarta-Palembang, the general consensus was that Sungira was going for the gold. But the road to back-to-back titles hasn’t been as easy as that. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as an emerging powerhouse thanks to its national investment in jiu-jitsu.
Just look at the results of last month’s JJIF World Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Eight of the 14 men’s and women’s championships were won by UAE athletes, including royalty Faisal Alketbi, 36, who won the men’s 94kg title. Sungira lost in the final to UAE’s Shamma Alkalbani, 20.
“It was embarrassing because I don’t have a lot of experience in losing,” said Sungira. But I reviewed the match and worked on my shortcomings. When I lose, I always make up for it and that’s how I play. If I meet Alcalvani again in Hangzhou, I will definitely pay him back,” 스포츠토토맨 he laughed.