Cannizzaro chases the Paralympics dream

Judo is a multi-faceted sport, but it is also one of the very few sports to have a division dedicated to the blind and visually impaired in the Paralympic team. One of the representatives of the Italian national team Fispic (Italian Paralympic Sports Federation for the visually impaired and blind) judo section is Simone Cannizzaro, of the Capelletti Club: «For me, being visually impaired is normal – he explains -. I see a tenth per eye, I am short-sighted and astigmatic, all due to albinism ». The judo story of the 24-year-old from Brescia began almost by chance when he tried it for the first time at the age of 5: “Obviously I didn’t understand what judo was, for me it was the game – says Cannizzaro -: I liked running, somersaults, fighting with others ». It was at a competition in 2012 that he was noticed by Roberto Tamanti, former director of the Paralympic National Team: «It was a coincidence and a fortune, I was 12 – says Simone -. Roberto explained to my parents about this specialty and told him that if I had taken judo more seriously I could have even reached the Paralympics ». Thus begins the competitive career of the judoka, who becomes part of the Capelletti team where, with increasingly serious and continuous training, the first calls to the national team have also arrived: “I have always trained like other athletes, so much so that I also do competitions not dedicated to the visually impaired – he continues -. Certainly some precautions allow me to learn better, for example when new techniques are explained in the gym I am often chosen as uke (sparring partner) so that I can feel the technique and understand it better ». The difficulties for Simone are both in the change of environment and in the various types of competition. In the competitions for able-bodied, the 2 opponents start divided, “here the great job lies in approaching the opponent, I have to get him to grab my collar instead of my sleeve, – explains Cannizzaro -, so as not to give him an advantage and to be able to prepare a strategy while also looking to adapt to the holds he proposes to me ». In the Paralympic competitions, on the other hand, the contenders begin the match already with the starting point, creating a much less technical, but more static and physical judo: “After Tokyo, the regulation has changed and now blind and partially sighted compete in two separate categories – says Simone again. -. In this way, the never category comes much closer to the normal one ». The closest dream is the Paralympic European Championship in Cagliari in September. •. GF © REPRODUCTION RESERVED