On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October, Taranto will welcome around 600 athletes from all over Italy for the stage of the Italy Under 15 Judo Trophy, an event of great importance for the city. The competition will be held at the Palamazzola starting from 9:00.
Among the prominent personalities who will participate in the event, Roberta Chyurlia stands out, an award-winning international referee and two-time Olympic referee, known for her excellence in the field. After the experience at the Paris Games, for which she was awarded by Mayor Melucci as local sporting excellence, Chyurlia will be present at this national event.
The event will also see the presence of Antonio Ernesto, Protocol Manager of the International Judo Federation (IJF) and candidate for the FIJLKAM Federal Council – Judo Sector. With consolidated experience in three Olympics (Rio, Tokyo, Paris), Ernesto is an important figure at an international level and will bring his contribution to the evolution of Italian judo. It is the first time that an Apulian is running for such a prestigious position within the national federation.
Ernesto, who played a fundamental role in the organization of judo at the Paris Games, is a judoka from Puglia who began his career in the Carabinieri Sports Center in Rome. After completing his competitive activity, he continued in the management sector, becoming a point of reference for international judo.
During the event, Ernesto declared that he wanted to strengthen the ties between national and international judo, opening new perspectives for the Federation and its members, following projects already tested abroad and adapting them to the Italian context.
In Taranto, Ernesto will meet Roberta Chyurlia, with whom he shares Apulian roots and a successful international career. Chyurlia is the first Italian female referee at the Olympics, awarded four times as the best female referee in Europe, and the only woman in the world to represent Italy in the refereeing field at an international level.
The Apulian regional committee, led by Maestro Nicola Rinaldi, is ready to celebrate these local excellences, honoring their contribution to the prestige of Italian judo.
