Almost three years have passed since the last National University Championships (Cnu) of L’Aquila, it was 2019. In the eyes, today, still the glitter of some of the medals won by the boys of Cus Napoli for martial arts. Among others, the silverware by Salvatore D’Arco and Francesco Nasti as well as the bronzes by Aldo Nasti and Marco Rosi, all four in Judo; for Taekwondo the gold of Angelo Adda, the second places of Marco D’Aniello, Roberta Desiderio, Serena Napolano. The total 15 medals brought home by Karate, including gold by Gabriele Petroni, Giuseppe Izzo Costabile, Francesca Mangiacapra, Biagio Nettore and Emanuele Sarnataro. Since then, everything has happened. An all that meant a stop to the 2020 edition due to Covid. Just like in 2021. Now, however, it’s time to take off your shoes again (or put on the right ones) and feel the consistency of the Tatami under your feet: from 13 to 22 May, in Cassino, the spring CNU will be contested for the 75th time. (19 disciplines in total). But who will be the chosen ones to represent Partenope in the Judo, Karate and Taekwondo teams? It will be known very soon: the selections will be held respectively on 22 April for the first two and on 28 April for the last.
In view of these important events, the Masters told Atheneapolis what physical and mental characteristics athletes must have, and above all the expectation, the ferment in view of an event that has been missing for a long time. “I am dying to get back to breathing the air of competition, the CNUs are spectacular for the possibility of socialization, comparison – says Gennaro Barone, Taekwondo Master for Cus Napoli since 2018 and, as an athlete, six times winner out of eight participations at the national review – we have been stopped for three years due to the various peaks and only now we are resuming the races with the support of the Federation. I think the boys will also want to test themselves as soon as possible “. On the selections: “We are looking for top level athletes, who already have a good knowledge of the sport and are tough from a character point of view. University students are often underestimated, but the quality, especially for black belts, is a national one, less so for green and blue ones. We are still discussing the number of boys, but usually we call two for each category (four men and four women, ed) “. Of the same opinion Salvatore Tamburro, icon of Cus Napoli for Karate, of which he has been Master since 2006, invites you to avoid easy misunderstandings about your sport, “true team activity. Of course, on the mat you are alone, but the hours spent in the gym are filled by all the members of a staff, who support the athletes by allowing them to train at high intensity “. And Karate, like any other discipline that leads to competition, is a place to absorb “lifestyles. With the Federation, for some time, I started a project called ‘White Belts’, with which we try to bring Karate to elementary schools. Why not, we could find those children in the ranks of university students one day, because the goal is to transmit values ”. And for the appointment on 22 April – the selection of the representative – the students are already trembling: “Many are calling me, they want to compete. I was even contacted by guys who graduated, asking me if there was the possibility to participate even though I no longer have university status “. And between old and new acquaintances, the idea is to look for “the winners, those who allow us to respect traditions, or rather to be on the podium. We are linked, in number, to the categories (six female and six male plus two specialties, ed), but there is no doubt, we want the best ones “. The Judo representative, on the other hand, will be selected and trained by Maestro Massimo Parlati. And then: the expectation grows, the return to the carpet is approaching!
