Judo Imola claims six podium finishes at Riccione nationals
Judo Imola secured two silver medals, four bronze finishes, and four top placements at the 41st Csen National Judo Championships held on November 7 and 8 at the Play Hall in Riccione, Sportello dello Sport Emilia Romagna reported.
The two-day tournament brought together 1,500 athletes representing 140 sports clubs from across Italy. Competing under the banner of the Società Judoka Riccionese—part of a collaborative training initiative shared by Judo Imola and other gyms across the Romagna region—the Imola delegation captured fifth place in the overall team standings.
Saturday bouts in the under-13 and under-15 divisions
Competition opened on Saturday, November 7, with the under-13 Esordienti A category for brown belts and below at 55 kilograms. Luca De Stefano earned a bronze medal, while teammate Federico Visani finished fifth.
In the under-15 Esordienti B division at 73 kilograms for brown belts and below, Alberto Lupica added a second bronze medal to the club’s tally for the opening day.
Sunday matches across cadets, juniors, and seniors
Sunday, November 8, featured the under-18 Cadets division. Gabriel Bertoldi placed fifth in the 55 kg green belt and below category, while Alessio De Stefano took 13th in the 55 kg black belt class. In the 66 kg green belt and below category, Gabriele Epifani finished 16th.
The under-21 Juniors division yielded two medals for Judo Imola. Gloria Zuccari claimed silver in the 63 kg green belt and below class, and Nikole Di Luco secured bronze. Mattia Rossi added a second silver medal for the club, finishing second in the 90 kg black belt division.
Youssef Hamed concluded the weekend for the team by taking third place in the senior 81 kg orange belt and below category. Hamed earned his bronze medal after winning three of his four contested matches.
Coaching perspective on regional collaboration
Following the conclusion of the event, Vito Ponzi pointed to the club’s joint training arrangements as a key factor in the team’s performance at the Riccione venue.
“Today’s results confirm that teamwork always pays off,” Ponzi said, as reported by Sportello dello Sport Emilia Romagna. “Pooling our strengths among gyms in Romagna and training with other clubs has given us the right incentives to improve the technical qualities of our athletes.”
Worth a look
