With close to 500 competitors and 800 spectators in La Magdalena, the last event of 2022 is consolidated as one of the benchmarks in Spain for lower categories
The expectation was maximum and the forecasts were more than fulfilled. The closing of 2022 left a twenty-second edition of the Ciudad de Avilés Christmas Tournament worthy of its best occasions. After 3:30 p.m. on Thursday the 29th, the stands of the La Magdalena Sports Center began to fill with families eager to see their little ones compete. In some cases it was practically their debut in an appointment of these characteristics and that was noticed, despite the fact that the final result did not matter. From the organization they recognized “satisfaction to see how the appointment grows. These are numbers that are very far from what a Villa de Avilés is because we don’t expect it to reach that level because it doesn’t interest us, but it fills us up, makes us proud and we can see that this is done well. The desire of the teams from abroad to come to the event in Avilés, as well as those of the Asturian teams, above all, in the smaller categories and juveniles, the stands have been to the top with more than 800 people and that means that we are something doing well”.
The mini benjamín plus and the groups of mini benjamín up to less than 23kg opened fire. In mini benjamín plus -17kg Alba Fernández (Takeda) prevailed, second was Macarena Fernández (JCA) while third place was also shared by two judokas from the Avilesino club: Lola Sandoval and Alicia Vázquez (JCA). In -19kg Saioa Rodríguez (Campiello-JCA) prevailed, second was Mario Corrales (Campiello-JCA) and third Chloe Luna (Campiello-JCA and Félix Vega (Asalia Beya). In -21kg; first Javier Loring (RGCC), second Luca Fernández (JCA) and third Álvaro López (JCA) and Ángel Abad (RGCC) while in +21kg David Kamchactmy (JCA) climbed to the top, second Nel Gonzalez (JCA) and third David Díaz (La Calzada) and Adrián Álvarez (JCA).While in mini benjamines -19kg the victory went to Mario Sánchez (RGCC), second Andrés Bravo (Campiello-JCA) and third Claudia Ponga (JCA).In -21kg Álvaro Fernández (Takeda) was first, Enol Rodríguez (JCA) second and León Sampedro (Campiello-JCA) and Lucas Suárez (Asalia Beya) third and in -23 kg first Kai Rodríguez (Campiello-JCA), second Unay Alcón (JCA) and third Olivia López (JCA) and Mateo Sanchez (RGCC).
The second shift was for the mini benjamins from under 25 kilos and the benjamins. In mini benjamines -25kg the victory went to Diego López (JCA), second place to Diego Pedrosa (Vallín) and third place to Pelayo Menendez (JCA) and Martin Veiga (Lugokan). In -28kg the winner was Diego Menendez (JCA), Colas Suarez (JCA) was second and Martin Lopez (Takeda) and Carol Reija (Lugokan), third. In -30kg, Adriana Perez (Lugokan) was first, Mateo Diaz (La Calzada) second and Celia Diaz (La Calzada) and Pablo Fernandez (RGCC), third. In the case of the benjamin category, in +30kg Sara Diaz (La Calzada), first; Martin Garcia (RGCC), second and Borja Perez and Noah Fernandez (La Calzada), third. In -27kg Alejandro Ramos (Lugokan) was first, Erika Fernandez (Asalia Beya) second and Elena Fernandez (JCA) and Mateo Perez (Campiello-JCA), third. In -29kg, Bruno Rodriguez (JCA) rose to the top, second placed was Vadym Smilik (Lugokan) and third placed Miguel Cuetos and Miguel Diaz (RGCC). In -31kg first was Pablo Valdeon (RGCC), second was Ridwan Daifi (JCA) and third were Daniel Fernandez (RGCC) and Martina Ordonez (JCA). In -33kg first was Ruben Suarez (JCA), second Sara Alvarez (La Calzada) and third Jorge Ramos (JCA) and Carmen Otero (Asalia Beya). In -35kg Martin Lopez (Lugokan) climbed to the top of the podium, Emilia Garcia (JCA) second and Gala Tamargo (RGCC) and Samuel Benitez (Takeda) third. In -39kg first place for Victor Fernandez (Vallín), second for Mario Martinez (Asalia Beya) and thirds Aitana Gonzalez (Asalia Beya) and Kevin Castro (Lugokan). In -45kg the first position went to Samuel Mantilla (Asalia Beya), second Sheila Garcia (Asalia Beya) and third Izan Gallinar (Asalia Beya) and Tristan Reija (Lugokan) while the +45kg podium went to Aleix Gonzalez (JCA) , Mael Gonzalez (Vallin) and Xabel Obiol (The Walkway) and Chloe Martinez (JCA). Organizer Carlos Fernandez pointed out that “it was more or less what was expected. The training criterion is above all else, but you are going to see judokas who are untipping and carrying the head”.
In the case of the juveniles, the tables served to show the strength of Judo Club Avilés since it managed to sneak its two teams into the final, a situation that had not occurred in recent years. The victory went to JCA A while second place went to team B. In the third drawer of the podium were RGCC and Lugokan A. For Fernández “very very promising generations are coming, as was already seen at Villa de Avilés where they got into the final and in the Christmas tournament we have seen how the two club teams have slipped into the fight for victory. That makes us optimistic.”
The last category was the children’s team, although not because it was the outcome it was the most pleasant. Judo Noreña Berrón and Judo Avilés B signed a three-way tie in the semifinals that forced a single draw match between the two that decided the pass to the final for the noreños while in the other semifinal between Judo Shiai and Asalia Beya the same thing happened victory falling on the side of the people of Gijón. In the final, the cat to water was taken by Noreña Berrón, second were the members of Asalia Beya and third were Judo Shiai and Judo Club Avilés B. For the coach here is the pending issue because “the team has not just started. It has been seen in the different Cups played and in the Christmas Tournament it has been verified again that we have not been well. It is a job that we have pending for 2023”.
Regarding the balance of 2022, for Carlos Fernández “it is the proof of cotton because it has become clear that the one who trains, makes an effort and seeks his goals is closer to him. I am not happy with the results of the year and we have to work now so that this changes in 2023, above all, at the level of attitude and be more involved and awake. They are the foundations that must be laid for next year. The people who have obtained results in this 2022 have the same denominator and those who have not, too. You have to do personal readings and each one analyze what there is.
