Sardinian judo athletes secured one silver medal and three podium placements at the A2 Italian Absolute Championships held at the PalaPellicone in Ostia, Unione Sarda reported.
The regional delegation brought 22 competitors—8 women and 14 men across 11 clubs—to face 456 fighters from across Italy on Saturday and Sunday. The tournament served as a qualifier for the A1 Italian Absolute Championships scheduled for December 12 and 13 in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Udine.
Arianna Carlotta Perra of Scuola Judo Ceracchini Cagliari delivered the standout performance for the island by taking second place in the 52 kg category. Unione Sarda reported that she won four bouts before losing her only match of the day against the eventual category winner.
Sofia Polizia of Ichnos Cagliari finished fifth in the 63 kg division after winning her initial pool. She subsequently dropped matches to the second-place finisher and in the repechage bracket.
Marica Spanu of G.S. Judo Terralba added a fifth-place finish in the over-78 kg category. All three female competitors secured their qualification passes for the A1 championships.
Riccardo Sanna of Scuola Judo Ceracchini Cagliari delivered the top men’s result with a seventh-place finish in the 60 kg class, which featured 46 judoka.
Sanna won four of his six bouts, including two victories by ippon. His second match against Fraglica of Kumiai Torino extended to 4 minutes and 16 seconds of golden score before Sanna won by yuko. He then lost to Lapi of Ippon Messina, ranked 16th nationally, and Moretti of Girolamo Giovinazzo, ranked 6th.
Claudio Camba, president of the Fijlkam Sardinia judo sector, evaluated the delegation’s performance following the weekend tournament. Unione Sarda reported his assessment of the team’s effort.
Compliments go to the athletes who won medals and achieved notable placements, but praise also goes to all the judoka who participated with honor, preparing for months with commitment and perseverance,
Camba said, as reported by Unione Sarda. We must remember that many of the Sardinian participants were at their first experience at the Italian Championships, a condition that inevitably also affected the emotional plane and their performances.
Camba noted the depth of the competition at the Ostia venue. We knew we would face the highest level of competition and so it was in all matches,
he said, according to Unione Sarda.
Our athletes had the opportunity to compare themselves with the best Italian judoka, gaining important experience for their sporting growth path. It is from these competitions and performances that we must start again, with the awareness that the work done in the gym is the right way to continue to improve.
Eleven island clubs contributed athletes to the regional delegation. The men’s team drew representatives from C.S. Olbia, Ceracchini Cagliari, Ichnos Cagliari, Hobby Sport Pirri Cagliari, GSJ Terralba, Sen No Sen di Ortueri, Judo Sport Oristano, and P. Gigliotti Nuoro.
The women’s team featured fighters from Sen No Sen di Ortueri, Judo Club Shardana Silanus, Jigorokano Isili, Ceracchini Cagliari, Hobby Sport Pirri Cagliari, GSJ Terralba, Ichnos Cagliari, and JC Maddalena. Five clubs—Ichnos Cagliari, Sen No Sen di Ortueri, Ceracchini Cagliari, Hobby Sport Pirri Cagliari, and GSJ Terralba—sent athletes to both divisions.
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