Akiyama prophet in his homeland at the Absolute Italian Championship

Akiyama Settimo puts its mark on this first Absolute Italian Judo Championship held at Pala200, the Palasport dedicated to the two hundredth gold medal of Italian sport, the one won in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and Fabio Basile which, in turn, celebrated the tricolor event with its presence. The Akiyama brand was impressed through the victory of the female ranking, clearly obtained despite no Italian title going to athletes of the seventh-month team led by the family Toniolo. The Golden Double, on the other hand, was scored by both the Carabinieri Sports Center with Thauany David Capanni (57 kg) and Eleonora Geri (+78 kg) that the Dojo Equipe Bologna with Irene Pedrotti (70 kg) and Betty Vuk (78 kg), while the New Florida Fitness Club presented two athletes, Advanced Asia e Alessia Retainin the final for the 48 kg gold, exactly as the Fiamme Gialle did in the 52 kg with Kenya Peru e Francesca Giorda. The one scored by the Sicilians of Judo Virtus was a double, albeit a bronze one, who in third place of the 48 kg were able to applaud both Sophia Mazzola that Julia Giorgi.

For Akiyama, two judokas on the podium in the weight category at the 70 kg limit, with Cecilia Betemps runner-up behind Pedrotti of the Dojo Equipe Bologna e Anna Righetti third tied with Raffaella Lelia Ciano of New Florida. For the home partnership, the bronze medal around the neck in the 78 kg da Irene Caleotied for third place with Carolina Mengucci of the Banzai Cortina; same placement, in the +78 kg, for Erica Simonettithird tied with Valentina Honey of the Banzai Curtain.

The first day of the Absolute Italian Judo Championship, the one reserved for the men’s competition, had seen Akiyama barely touch the tricolor podium, by virtue of the final fourth place in the club classification behind Fiamme Gialle, Carabinieri and Banzai Cortina.

On an individual level, for Akiyama, the bronze medal in the 90 kg neck girdle should be underlined Matthias Gallinatied for third place with Owusu Henry Owusu Asare of Kyu Shin Do Kai Parma, behind the new Italian champion Lorenzo Rigano of the Yellow Flames and of Matthew Rovegno of Pro Recco Judo, second classified. Third place also for David Wells in the 100 kg, weight category in which he finished on the third step of the podium on an equal footing with ALessandro Regonesi of the Isao Okano Club, behind a Jean Carletti of the Judo Club Camerano and to Francesco Basso of the Carabinieri, first and second place respectively. Special guest, the Olympian Fabio Basile.

Daniele Volpatto, councilor for Sport of Settimo Torinese, could not be missing. This is his balance at the end of the competitions: “Today the Absolute Italian Championships of karate and judo close. A commitment that has seen in our city, during the two weekends, in addition to the best Italian athletes, around 9 thousand people including insiders, athletes, fans, journalists and families. Many people, who have found hospitality in our accommodation facilities and in our restaurants. Because sport, in addition to being a moment of aggregation, socialization and emotion, can be an important economic driver for our territory. It was an exciting experience, full of meaning and emotion. A special thanks to the Italian Judo Fight Karate Martial Arts Federation for the opportunity. Impossible to thank everyone one by one, I would definitely forget someone. Thanks to Fabio Basile, because without him and his feat at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, none of this would have even begun. Thanks to the staff of the “Pala200, theater of the tricolor event. Thanks to the staff, the volunteers and the police forces who ensured the success of the event. Lastly, a special mention goes to Akiyama, authentic Seventh-month pride. Indeed, thanks to the splendid champions of Akiyama, Settimo Torinese is the women’s judo team champion of Italy”.

The certainty is that sporting events of this magnitude are good for the entire sports association fabric of Settimo Torinese and, more generally, for the whole city, which in recent weeks has become the Italian capital of karate and judo.