Today, in the Bella Italia Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro, is the “zero” day for the Judo Winter Camp number 27 and from Saturday 3rd the “dancing” on the mega tatami begins. This, in fact, was the day in which the Yama-volunteers set up the tatami in the various judo rooms and the service equipment, but it was also the day in which the welcoming of guests began. Among the first to show up at check-in was Giorgio Vismara, coach leading the Turkish delegation: “I started in July, immediately after the world championship – explained coach Vismara – so I have been working with the group for 6 months. There is a lot of enthusiasm and I am also really happy, because they are athletes who are committed. They are hard workers, and it is also a very young team, ranging from 20 to 22 years old on average. Then there are also the athletes who we can define as top-notch, who are a few years old plus, like Ibrahim Demirel, Bilal Ciloglu, Ibrahim Tataroglu, in short there is excellent “material” to work on. Now we are here at the Winter and we start the year in the best possible way. Then on the 11th a good part of the boys leaves for Japan, while another group goes to Mittersill”.
“For us – said Milena Lovato, DT of the Winter Camp – that people choose our camp, our teachers, our technical directors, our mat-managers, is never a given. We know the uniqueness of the Bella Italia Village very well and we are aware of starting with an extra gear. Inventing even just a small thing is always a pleasure for us… Now we are at full-time days in which we cross everything to anticipate problems. The energy is the right one. Full speed ahead”.
Last Monday’s data showed 1177 beds already booked in the village and the camp teachers are all arriving, from Eldos Smetov, 33 year old Kazakh with three medals at the Olympics (gold in Paris, bronze in Tokyo, silver in Rio), Robert Msvidobadze, Russian (36), two-time European champion (2017 and 2020), Cedric Taymans, Belgian (50), two world medals, Telma Monteiro, Portuguese (40), a true legend with his 15 medals at the European championships (six times gold), five world medals and one at the Olympics (Rio 2016), Orazio D’Allura, born in Messina in 1981, multiple Italian champion and coach of Kodokan Cecina together with his wife Giulia Quintavalle, Sami Chouchi, Belgian (32) with two medals at the Europeans and Donata Burgatta, from Milan (50) with a silver at the Europeans in +78 kg and participation in the Olympics in Atlanta 1996. And then again Go Tsunoda, Alim Gadanov and Emanuela Pierantozzi… Yesterday’s champions and tomorrow’s champions, from Saturday 3 to Wednesday 6 January, over a thousand judokas will train together on the mega-tatami of PalaBellaItalia. To grow together, to grow everyone.
