With the goal of improving the achievements obtained in 2021, Sinaloa will participate in the Pan American Judo in Varadero, Cuba, with a team of four athletes and a coach.
Culiacán, Sinaloa. – (RI News) – Sinaloa made history in the Pan American Children and Youth Judo by winning a silver and a bronze medal. Now, three years later, the Sinaloa delegation is ready to surpass those results in the 2024 edition of the event, which will be held in Varadero, Cuba, from November 26 to December 1.
Coach Eduardo Rivera Medina, who leads the delegation, expressed his confidence in obtaining better results this year. “More than anything, we seek to have a good performance, to improve what we achieved in 2021, when we won a silver and a bronze medal. Today we have strong athletes like Ana Lucía Álvarez and Valeria López, who are among the three best nationally in their Under 15 category of less than 58 kilos,” Rivera commented.
Álvarez and López are two of the main promises of the Sinaloa delegation. Both are among the three best in their category at the national level, so it is expected that they can maintain that position on the Pan American podium.
“We are confident that these athletes will remain among the first places on the podium, since they have great preparation,” added the coach. Rivera also thanked the parents for their support, as well as the team from the Sinaloense Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, led by General Director Julio César Cascajares Ramírez.
For her part, the young judoka Valeria Mendoza Parra, who will participate in her first international event, expressed her nerves but also her confidence. “I feel nervous, but confident. My main goal is to be on the podium,” said Mendoza Parra, who was excited about the opportunity to represent Sinaloa in the Pan American Championship. Although she did not participate in the 2024 CONADE Nationals due to being in the same division as Ana Lucía Álvarez, Mendoza Parra is preparing intensely for the upcoming challenges, including the 2025 edition of the CONADE Nationals.
Members of the Sinaloa team for the 2024 Pan American Judo:
Category 13-14 years
- Ana Lucia Álvarez López, 53 kg
- Valeria Mendoza Parra, 58 kg
Category 11-12 years
- Alexa Tinoco Arellano, 47 kg
- Gabriela López Velázquez, +52 kg
Coach
With its sights set on improving its results and strengthening the development of Sinaloan judo, the Sinaloa delegation is preparing with the hope of continuing to stand out nationally and internationally.