Eleven Judo Kumiai athletes secured their qualification for the A2 Senior and Es.B Italian Championships during regional trials held at the Palamaggiore in Leinì, L’Agenda News reported.
Palamaggiore Trials Send Eleven Competitors to Ostia Finals
The regional qualification tournament at the Palamaggiore venue in Leinì produced seven senior qualifiers and four Es.B competitors for Judo Kumiai. These athletes join teammates who had previously punched their tickets to the national A2 finals. The senior division will compete on November 7 and 8 at the PalaPellicone in Ostia, while the Es.B finals follow at the same venue on November 21 and 22.
Senior Division Standouts Claim First-Place Finishes
In the senior categories, Angelo Sandrini led the way in the 60 kg division by securing two victories to earn his qualification pass. Andrea Rusalen posted three wins in the 66 kg bracket, reaching the final before dropping his last bout to finish second, which was still enough to secure qualification for Ostia. Eric Semanjaku dominated the 81 kg category with three wins to claim first place. Alessio Maiano matched that performance in the 90 kg division, winning three bouts to capture the category title and the accompanying berth at the finals. Additional senior qualifiers included Marco Gagliotta in the 100 kg division, Lorenzo Turini in the over-100 kg class, and Francesca Casciaro in the 57 kg category. Meanwhile, Davide Fagnoni returned to competition in the 66 kg division but fell short of a qualifying spot despite a hard-fought effort.
Es.B Competitors Earn National Championship Berths
The younger Es.B cohort matched the senior squad’s success with four athletes earning qualification passes. Carlo Enrico Martello captured the 73 kg category with three victories. Marco Marturano delivered a strong performance in the 81 kg division, taking two wins to claim the top spot of the podium. Jacopo Venincasa bounced back from a semifinal defeat in the 38 kg bracket by winning the third-place playoff to secure his spot in Ostia. Greta Ribaudo rounded out the successful Es.B qualifiers by earning her pass in the 70 kg division. Nathan Grillo finished fifth in the 66 kg class, missing out on qualification.
