Page 9 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Tuesday 28 June 2022

joshua Paredes Honored to

represent aruba in nation’s
Historic IMMaF debut

Oranjestad - aruban you get to that point where
athlete joshua Paredes is you are mentally strong in
more than prepared head- the fight, you don’t show
ing into the 2022 IMMaF any emotion or fear in a
Pan american Champion- fight, you become just a
ships, admitting the biggest brick wall and you do what
fight is the road to the com- you have got to do. To
petition. get to that point the fight
is against yourself, the rou-
Entering the tournament, tine, the camp ,the weight,
Parades finds himself in the the food, the training, the
intriguing position of being pains, you just have to stay
the only Aruban athlete to focussed. Once you’re in
be competing at the Pan the cage I am just a brick
Am Championships. For wall, ice cold, you can’t
many, the thought of this hurt me. tunity to compete in the
could well be intimidating IMMAF tournament, train-
but the 19-year-old is feel- The bantamweight will ing all day, all night, hard
ing very level headed as make his IMMAF debut at work preparing for this. I am
the tournament approach- the championships, a feat ready.”
es. He said: which he is very proud to
achieve. All the preparation paid
“As the only competitor I off, giving amazing results
don’t feel nervous at all. “There are several reasons that show his great capa-
Maybe when the fights are I decided to enter the Pan bilities as an athlete and
closer I will but right now, Ams. I wanted to represent brings light to all the talent
no. I have a few MMA am- my country, Aruba, at a Aruba has to offer.
ateur fights already, I am bigger level internation-
used to the pressure and ally. I want to prove myself The IMMAF Pan American
the fight camps so I am not against high level fighters, Championships took place
nd
th
nervous at all. I know the the best in the world and I from June 22 to June 24 ,
biggest battle is against know I will get that at the where Joshua Paredes won
myself so I am not nervous Pan Ams and prove to my- a silver medal in the Ban-
at all.” self what I am capable of. tamweight 61.2 kg (135 lbs)
category.
Further expanding on the “This will be a great honour
internal battle, Paredes for me to represent Aru- Congratulations to Josh-
opened up on exactly ba at the Pan American ua Paredes and his
what it has taken for him to Championships and to be team for the amazing
represent his nation at the the first one to do it!” accomplishment.q
championships. He said:
Paredes oozes confidence
“The real fight is against & believes all of his hard
myself because the real work up until this point
fight is getting up every will lead to success at the
day, six in the morning to championships.
go training five times a day
and dropping your weight “I am very excited and very
to the fight weight. Once happy to have the oppor- facebook.com/arubatoday/