San Francisco has welcomed athletes for a national paralympic judo training camp running from Thursday, October 15, through Sunday, October 18, at the Centro Integral de Judo Alfredo Acosta located at 1231 Boero Romano.
The concentration brings together competitors, coaching staff, and accompanying instructors from multiple Argentine provinces. The event is organized by the Argentine Federation of Sports for the Blind (FADeC), supported by the Sports Directorate of the Municipality of San Francisco, and coordinated by Alfredo Acosta, who leads the national youth selection team and serves as a key discipline reference.
National Talent Development and Elite Preparation in San Francisco
Municipal sports director Juan Iturburu emphasized the significance of hosting the gathering as part of the local government’s ongoing backing for adapted sports disciplines. “It is another sign of the support of the Municipality of San Francisco for adapted sports,” Iturburu stated, noting that the city previously hosted training camps for the national sitting volleyball team and twice for the national Down syndrome basketball team.
Local athletes featured in the camp include Alejandro Kunkel and Paula Gómez, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the up-to-57-kilogram category. Additional attendees include national team member Nadia Bongiovano and technical staff member Guillermo Traba.
Regional Diversity and Technical Objectives of the Camp
Sources provide varying figures regarding the number of athletes, ranging from 17 to 28, with participants from diverse localities including El Bolsón, Posadas, Rosario, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Río Cuarto, Misiones, Chaco, Río Negro, Córdoba, and Santa Fe.
Alfredo Acosta and Guillermo Traba noted that this marks the first time in ten years that a paralympic judo training camp has been held in the interior of the country. The sessions focus on refining high-performance technical preparation, evaluating new youth prospects, and building camaraderie among athletes training across distant provinces.
Municipal Logistics and Autonomy Through Judo
To facilitate the camp, the municipality provided lodging at the Municipal Sports Center hostel, local transportation to and from the judo center, and full board for all visiting athletes and staff. Coaches highlighted that the sport of judo actively fosters balance, physical coordination, and personal autonomy for visually impaired practitioners, who train within standard dojos alongside sighted peers.
The training schedule at the Centro Integral de Judo Alfredo Acosta runs through Sunday, October 18, providing a structured environment for athletes to train together and plan the continuity of the sporting work.
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