On Saturday 9 December Sofia Longo presented herself for the first time at the PalaPellicone, the federal hall of the FIJLKAM (Italian Federation of Judo, Wrestling, Karate and Martial Arts) as the n. seed. 4 in the 40 kg beginners B category (under 14) and took home a splendid silver medal in the 40 kg beginners B Judo category.
“When we arrive at the stadium, our minds immediately go back to the last two years. Over six months out at the beginning of 2022 due to a knee problem; from September 2022 the first Italian Trophies without too many expectations which instead make us understand that we can do very well; a disastrous qualification for the 2022 Italian championships which saw us out of the national finals; the recovery in 2023: a series of successes with silver in Puglia and Lombardy which saw Sofia top the rankings for over 5 months, the relapse in Olbia where we remained at the foot of the podium and finally yet another silver in Pescara. ” The director of the judo section of the Polisportiva Riccione tells the story of maestro Giuseppe Longo as well as the father of the young athlete in a whirlwind of emotions and emotion. “SOFIA TODAY WE ARE IN A1, THERE ARE NO EASY MEETINGS … I repeated this mantra to Sofia for weeks, training after training, between a physiotherapist session and one with our sports psychologist”.
Sofia immediately seemed at ease in a mixture of emotions where the excitement of the situation and the pleasure of living that experience with numerous training companions/friends from all over Italy took over. The title victory of Alice Zuppardi from Bari on Saturday morning (Sofia would have fought in the afternoon) gave her the energy to start off on the right foot. After missing the first round as the top seed, she faced Longobardi from Lazio in the first match, overcoming her before wazari (I score) and just as time expired scoring a spectacular ippon. Sofia had access to the semi-final against the first in the ranking, the only one of Sofia’s opponents who had lost only one match in the whole season only due to sanctions without ever taking a point against, Udine’s Alice Bronzin.
“At this point we had the toughest obstacle, we knew we had to fight for a medal, we just had to understand if it would be gold (winning) or bronze (as defeat in the semi-final would have given direct access to the bronze final) ” explains director Giuseppe Longo. “Alice and Sofia climbed onto the tatami determined to win the final. Alice immediately attacks and tries to neutralize Sofia’s holds, which she initially suffers and risks. She then changes strategy… she crosses the holds, anticipates her opponent and starts in a masterfully executed eri-seoi-nage and pins the number 1 seed obtaining a clear victory. She is in the final against the Ligurian Francesca Sini. Unfortunately, for the Riccione native the commentary of the last match was very short. Sini sets the holds well. Sofia suffers from that situation and improvises an attack to which the Ligurian responds promptly by marking “Ippon”.
“Sofia wins the third medal of 2023 at an Italian championship for the judo section of the Polisportiva. 3 medals with 3 different athletes, in just 12 years we had never done better than this. We remember Halich Dima’s victory in the A2 Italian cadet championship and his 4th place in A1 and the element of our captain Morgana De Paoli (a super renowned athlete also on the international field).
In the Italian A1 under 14 championship the judo section was the best club in Emilia Romagna. We are satisfied with Sofia’s result and with the season that has just ended. Now we will take a few days of rest and then we will start again to prepare for the next season with ambitious plans in our heads and hearts for all our competitors and to start the little ones towards the path that their older companions have followed in recent years. I would like to thank many people who helped us, a real team. The sports psychologist Alessia Bruno, the physiotherapist Annalisa Morri, the friends of the clubs with whom we share numerous training sessions, the master Nicolì Danilo from Gambettola, the master Nanna Enrico from Rimini, the Judo Imola led by a veteran of judo from Romagna Vito Ponzi and Federico Riusso of Sakura Forlì. Finally, my gym mates with particular regard to Elena and Sergio who have played a fundamental role in sparring over the last month and Morgana who with her successes and her support is a great point of reference for the whole team” concludes director Longo Giuseppe.
Press
2023-12-12 11:07:34
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