Young martial artist Lorenzo Dardano is set to compete at the world championships in Montesilvano, Italy, representing the national team in the ancient Chinese discipline of Shuai Jiao, CatanzaroInforma reported. The competition marks a major milestone for the teenage athlete from Sellia Marina, who trains out of the Sitlab gym in the maritime district of Catanzaro.
World Championship Debut in Montesilvano
The upcoming international tournament brings together practitioners of Shuai Jiao, a grappling art whose origins trace back to the third millennium BC. Rosario Paradiso, Dardano’s coach at Sitlab and a technical commissioner for the Italian national federation, noted the deep historical roots of the sport, contrasting it with newer disciplines such as judo.
Dardano enters the competition in the Under-16 division for the 56-kilogram weight class. Pitted against older competitors, the young athlete aims to test his character and technical skill on the global stage. The venue holds favorable memories for the team, as Montesilvano recently hosted an international tournament where Dardano secured a division title.
Paone Joins National Squad for World Championships
Joining Dardano on the national squad is fellow Catanzaro native Rossella Paone. The reigning European senior women’s champion in the 56-kilogram category, Paone enters the world championship slate with distinct medal ambitions for the delegation.
The Italian team operates under the direct supervision of Paradiso, who has prepared both athletes through intensive training blocks in Calabria. The three-day competition scheduled for the upcoming weekend in the Abruzzo region features various international weight classes and age brackets.
Historical Context of Local Martial Arts Success
Dardano’s selection for the world event continues a notable lineage of international martial arts representation from the Catanzaro area. The region previously celebrated the achievements of Simone Alessio, a Sellia Marina native who captured two world titles and an Olympic bronze medal in taekwondo.
While taekwondo and judo maintain widespread global participation, Shuai Jiao remains a niche discipline with ancient roots, sharing technical commonalities with Mongolian wrestling and traditional jacket-wrestling forms. The upcoming bouts in Abruzzo provide a platform for developing athletes to gain international exposure outside more mainstream combat sports.
