The province of Bergamo was the scene of the absolute Italian Sambo Championships (and the Italian Debutants Championships, in their first historic edition). Relevant technical and competitive level meetings, which gave good indications to the national team coach, ready to communicate to the interested clubs the names of the players called up for the collegiate training, reserved for athletes of national interest and the medalists of the absolute championships, which will serve to to compose the team for the European Championships scheduled from 14 to 19 September in Novi Sad (Serbia).
The results
In the competition reserved for Beginners (11-13 years) the Lombard athletes of the Paullese Gymnastics (MI) and the Leonessa Brescia Academy (BS) prevailed.
In the absolute championship there was a greater participation with several surprises in the placements on the podium, compared to the 2021 edition in full pandemic.
In the women’s field, the performance of the Piedmontese Tassone Vittoria (young class 2004) who won the absolute title by beating all the opponents in the category to the limit of 50 kg should be noted.
Also in the men’s competition, several medals in the seven weight categories were won by promising new athletes from the youth and junior classes. A clear symptom of the generational change taking place and of the amount of work that awaits the national technical staff, for the necessary qualitative leap to make the aspiring Azzurri athletes competitive in the international field.
Worth mentioning is the winner of the 58 kg category, Avella Stefano (junior class 2002) athlete of the Isao Okano Club 97 of Cinisello Balsamo (MI), who concluded all three fights for technical superiority before the time limit. In the category up to 64 kg, team mate Canevaro Mattia (junior class 2003) wins silver by losing only the final with Rastellaqa Alaa (senior class 2000) from Alessandria.
In the category at the limit of 71 kg, orphan of Galbiati Mattia still stopped due to knee surgery, the Venetian Cici Silvio (senior class 1993) of the Dojo Treviso was reconfirmed as Italian champion, who overtook the contemporary Italian athlete Lussignoli Athos in the final. (Fujiyama Empoli), returned to the race after 3 years of inactivity.
In 79 kg, Serafini Emiliano (senior class 2000) wins his first Italian title, athlete of the Paullese Gymnastics (MI) who bodes well for his next approach on the international competitive scene.
The category up to 88 kg saw the clear dominance Miceli Alessio (senior class 1988) who, despite being now projected towards a career as a Technical Teacher, has shown that the class is not water by concluding all the meetings before the limit, including the final. with teammate Binelli Alessandro. For the rest we saw a fair balance for the conquest of the other places on the podium.
In the 98 kg Cavanna Federico of Shodokan Genova, he won without too much difficulty, despite a shoulder problem that has dragged on from the last world championship in Tashkent (UZB).
The +98 kg category was dominated by Gurghis Pavel, athlete of Team Evolution Sambo & Judo from Riccione, who defeated all opponents for technical superiority before the time limit expired.
Overall it should be noted that the technical level of the athletes has risen, especially for the young and junior classes, in fact the medals, the score for the placements in the national ranking and the points for the classification by company, have been won by the clubs of ten different regions.
This year, compared to the previous ones in which Lombardy was in charge, the teams from three different regions rose to the podium in the team classification: 1st Weightlifting Club Alessandria; 2nd Shodokan Genoa; 3a Isao Okano Club 97 Cinisello Balsamo (MI).
