Between today and Sunday in the Toto Hernández Coliseum Cucuteños will be able to witness and enjoy for the first time a international judo tournament.
With the endorsement of the Colombian Judo Federation and the support of the Norte de Santander Government, the Mayor’s Office of Cúcuta, Indenorte, the IMRD and private companiesthe North Santander League of this sport will begin today from 1:00 in the afternoon to South American Judo Championship in the categories U-13, U-15 and Senior in women and men.
On Saturday and Sunday the fights will begin at 9:00 in the morning and will last until 6:00 in the afternoon and the public will have free access to watch the championship, for which good attendance is expected.
Never before has the northern capital of Santander organized a championship of this magnitude which will bring together the continent’s judo reserve and future promises of this discipline that has given the country world champions such as Yuri Alvearin addition to being a medalist in some Olympic games, or like the youth Gabriela Olaya who recently won the world title in Tajikistan.
In senior there will also be the best judokas in South America showing their talent preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
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North with its quota
For the championship North will be present with seven judokas, led by Maryuri Ureña, Danna Vera, Camilo Botello, Yender Obandobronze medalist in the recente Nacional in Bucaramanga, Daniel González, Fernando Gámez and Duván Sebastián, in children, base of the Colombian team.
The participating delegations began arriving on Monday and did their first training sessions at the Eustorgio Colmenares Baptista minor coliseum.
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Nearly 400 athletes from Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Colombia They will seek to take the first places. The big absentee on this occasion is Brazil, power and entertainer but according to what was explained by the president of the League, Liseth Johana Orozco, former Pan American, Central American, South American champion and the first judoka having participated in Olympic Games 20 years ago, in Athens 2004.
“Tomorrow we start at 1:00 in the afternoon at the Toto Hernández Coliseum, and on Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 in the morning, there are 400 athletes who have arrived in the city except for Brazil, which did not confirm their attendance,” he stated. Orozco Pallares.
Regarding the expectations she has about the organization of this South American and what it represents, the president of the league said that “the expectations are great, It is the first time that we do a tournament here in Cúcuta, “We hope to be good hosts and that Colombia gives the results and is champion of the tournament.”
Regarding the boys from North, he said that the feelings are good and it is expected that they will make a good presentation and be able to obtain one of the three medals.
“In the U-13 category, we will be with Felipe Villamizarwho is an athlete who comes from La Fe settlement.
In the U-15 we go with Daniel González, Duván Pabón and Fernando Gámez, With them there are great possibilities and we hope they are on the podium,” Orozco stressed.
As for the youth category, the responsibility falls on Maryuri Urena who has been South American and Pan American champion. “It is the other experience and we trust that it will win in its category.
And about the others youth Johana Orozco He noted that “we hope that they achieve their best performance in their first international participation that they know how to take advantage of the fact that the tournament is in Cúcuta and compete.”
One of the important points to highlight is the tatami where the fights take place, which had a cost of $270 million as stated by the sports leader.
“I must thank former governor Silvano Serrano because I always stated that by having a competitive tatami we could bring tournaments and this is a dream come true, thanks to that management.”
Motivational champion
When asked about the recent title of the Cali Brenda Olaya at the Junior World Cup in TajikistanOrozco indicated that “it has been an important result for judo, sport in general.”
And he added that “it is a call to manage more resources for sport. Let the president of the republic realize that the federation has done a great job led by its president Wilson Figueroa, coach Yuri Alvear (Olympic medalist) from Indervalle and the Valle del Cauca Judo League.
I wish we would take that example, but unfortunately we do not have that support here,” he stated.
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