Cnu, the adventure for the Cus Napoli athletes begins

“Excellent sensations on the disciplines of martial arts”

A membership that exceeds expectations and confirms the lack of competition adrenaline in the last two years. The numbers of athletes who have proposed for the National University Championships (Cnu) in Cassino say so. “We had a very high request to participate, only the best were selected”tells Maurizio AbundantSecretary General of the University Sports Center (Cus) of Naples.

The representative of judo completed the selections on May 5, with a total of 19 boys and 4 girls; competitions on the 21st, when the men’s category will be involved with the individual, and on May 22nd with the team competition and the individual for the women’s category. The team of fencing with 10 members, including a boy for the foil category. For theAthleticsthere will be 16 to carry on the Neapolitan colors. “We cannot and do not want to make wild predictions, but there are excellent sensations on the disciplines of martial arts. We will have the participation of highly trained athletes who have already established themselves in their sport at national level “says optimist Pupo.

The only girl to compete at the CNU in the team of lotta del Cus Napoli is Vincenza Amendola. Only 19 years old but very clear ideas. “My father is my coach, at the age of 3 he was already teaching me judo strategies. At the beginning it was just a game, growing up came many results “, tells. Since then she has collected a lot of satisfactions: second place in the National Junior Championships in 2021, third in the Absolutes in January 2022 and participation in the European Under 23 Championships, in which she finished seventh. A family of sportsmen who live the gym as their own habitat. “When I fight – confesses Vicky, it’s her nickname – Dad gets a little excited, but it’s normal. The same happens to me when I see my sister fighting “. The enthusiasm for the first National University Championship can only be released after the competition that precedes Cassino, the Italian Under 20 Freestyle Championship on May 7th. The workouts, already very intense in normal times, are more onerous in this period: “I train twice a day, morning and evening. Nutrition is also a very important aspect of preparation. Wrestling is an anaerobic sport, it takes a lot of breath and we have to keep our breathing under control “. Vicky, in the first year of Comparative Languages ​​and Cultures in the East, study Japanese and Spanish. Commitments increase, but combining sport and study is a matter of will: “I notice that sport has also formed me in this sense. Without time, on the mat as in life, I learn more quicklyI think more quickly “. Against the qualms of those who believe that wrestling is a male-only sport, Vicky replies: “I think it is very suitable for girls instead. It helps to vent the stress, the anger, instead of keeping it all inside. After an hour of training you leave the gym relaxed and with a clear mind “.

Two of the champions selected for the team are also very young judo, Daniele di Capua20 years old, e Gennaro Guarino19 years. “My father was a judoka, so my brother and I started practicing it from an early age. When you are little it’s a game, you do exercises with bare feet and you like the feeling. For those with a more competitive streak, growing interest in an individual sport increases in which the challenge is above all with yourself “, says Daniele of his sporting passion. A rookie at the Italian Under 16 Championships, he continued over the years with competitions, up to conquering the title of National Champion at the Italian Under 21 Championships in 2021. “I am charged for the CNU because I like the idea of ​​comparing myself with other university students like me. In other contexts you compare yourself with people who have chosen the sporting path as the path for their life, and this can make you question your abilities. This competition, on the other hand, encourages you to prove what you are worth “, continues. Enrolled in the second year of electronic Engineering at Federico II, Daniele has to navigate between his studio and the gym, especially during the exam sessions. Yet as long as there is passion, there is hope. On the other hand, doing sport is a lifestyle, and practicing it for many years also shapes your character: “with judo I learned to listen, I have learned respect for the other person, bigger or smaller, because everyone can know something more about you. And especially, I learned resilience. University students who play sports are immediately recognizedbecause they are the ones who rationalize the problem to overcome it “. Second place in the Italian Juniores Championship, Gennaro is now enrolled in the first year of Management Engineering to Federico II and is preparing, after a series of European experiences, for the first year of CNU. “My mother was a judoka and at 8 I wanted to start this sport. Despite being a combat sport, on the carpet there are rules to respect, a discipline to maintain and this attitude marks your character”, the words of Gennaro. Study in the morning, training in the afternoon, is the rhythm that marks all his days. Little time to devote to friendships outside the gym, but the bond is special with those inside. “Judo, like other contact sports, has suffered greatly from the stoppage of these two years. Despite this, I trained at home, also thanks to Maestro Parlati, who suggested exercises to do with objects we had at our disposal “, Gennaro says thinking about the distance from the gym, but he recognizes that he was among the lucky ones who had a close partner to train with, in his case his sister, also a judoka. Essential qualities: “tenacity and constancy that lead you to never give up, even when the obstacles seem insurmountable “.

Agnese Simeoli