Emma, ​​the Falchera champion who “plays” them at the greatest – Turin Chronicle

In 2010, the Tomodachi association was founded in Falchera, which in Japanese means “friend”, to get the kids of the neighborhood off the street and introduce them to judo. Today it serves as the Kumiai’s nursery. It is chaired by Francesco Luppino and the technical director is the brigadier of the Guardia di Finanza Massimo Gambino, used to interfacing with the young people of the area since 2003.

«Despite the positive changes that have taken place in recent years – explains Gambino – there is still a sort of resistance from outsiders to come to us. Our athletes are, therefore, all boys from Falchera». Among them there are also 12-year-old Emma Dobrovolschi, who won the 42 kg at the recent Under 15 Italian Fighting Championships, and her peers Alessia Cavallari and Eliza Gradinaru, who finished fifth in the 46 kg and 58 kg. All three practice both judo and wrestling.

Emma, born in Turin to Moldavian parents, she was the real revelation of the event at the PalaPellicone in Ostia, being the smallest in her category, and in the final she had the satisfaction of beating the Livorno-born Sara La Rocca, holder of the title. «From the Federation – says the director – they wanted to call her up for the national team, in view of the European Championships, and when they learned that she is too young, they were disappointed. Emma is a real talent in wrestling and judo and so far in pre-competitive and competitive competitions she has always won. Her sacrifice doesn’t scare her and she trains every day for two hours. You carry out two workouts in Druento and three in Falchera, of which only one is dedicated to physical preparation, to the free body. She always listens to what she is told about herself and is very tenacious. She wants to win and to succeed sometimes she too does more than what is asked of her ».

She was the first to take up judo, but she doesn’t dislike wrestling either: «Before joining the tricolor flag she had only had five lessons with the Cus Torino instructors and they were enough for her to become the best». In all at the Tomodachi there are about sixty members, aged between three and twelve years, and Gambino follows them assisted by his sons Cecilia and Nicolò, by Marco Luppino, son of the president, and by Leonardo Cacciatore.