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Judo, the Junior World Championships in Olbia will start tomorrow. 31 Italians in the race, important ambitions especially for women – OA Sport

The long wait is now over: the Judo World Junior Championships 2021, the first youth world championship in the new Olympic cycle towards the Paris 2024 Games. The Sardinian city of Olbia will host the event (for the second time in history on Italian soil after the 1986 edition of Rome), which will see the participation of almost 500 Under 21 athletes from 72 different countries.

The competitions, scheduled from tomorrow to Sunday 10 October, will take place on the tatami mats of the Geopalace in Olbia for a total of 14 titles up for grabs at individual level and one for teams. Present in Sardinia many protagonists of the present and the future for international judo, who begin the approach towards the next Olympics in Paris.

Italy presents itself to the World Cup with a maxi-representative made up of 31 athletes (16 boys and 15 girls), thanks to the extra quotas reserved for the host country and the new wild cards introduced by the IJF, with the aim of at least partially redeeming a European Juniores slightly below expectations.

Today the drawing ceremony for all the scoreboards, effectively opening the event with the first official act pending the first day of competition scheduled for tomorrow starting at 9 am. Let’s go and discover the possible path of the most quoted blue judoka in the fight for the podium.

Day-1 immediately crucial for the tricolor selection, which deploys at least three possible important medal cards especially in the women’s field. Headlights aimed primarily at Assunta Scutto, continental bronze in office and first seeded seed in 48 kg, called to a rather difficult debut match (probably with the Uzbek Kurbonova) but obligatory favorite in the upper part of the board with a possible revenge on the horizon in the final against the strong Russian Khubulova.

Important ambitions in 52 kg for the Italian trio formed by Federica Silveri (n.3 of the seeding), Giulia Carnà (n.5) and Ylenia Monaco, even if the latter will have to overcome in a possible round of eight against the talented Frenchwoman Chloe Devictor. Bel Paese hunting for medals also on the second day with Veronica Toniolo in the 57 kg, Sara Lisciani in the 63 kg and the duo Luigi Centracchio-Vincenzo Pelligra in the 73 kg, all accredited with a seed and candidates for the podium.

Italjudo less deep in the second part of the week (reserved for heavy categories) but still equipped with some important points such as for example Martina Esposito, looking for redemption after a disappointing European and main favorite in the 70 kg Pool D to reach at least the Final Block. Not to be underestimated from a podium point of view also Asya Tavano, unlucky in the draw and forced to defeat the fearsome Ukrainian Bulavina on her debut to guarantee herself at least the repechage in the +78 kg.

The scoreboard of the mixed team competition which will close the World Cup on Sunday 10 October. The host Italy will face Kazakhstan in the round of 16, and then eventually face one between Turkey (fourth-seeded) and Mexico in the quarterfinals. The blue team is in the same half of the board as the favorite France.

Photo: EJU

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