Historic bronze for Kodokan Empoli at the Italian A2 Judo Championship: sport, social and solidarity on the tatami
Last Saturday the Italian A2 junior/senior judo team championship was held at the PalaPellicone in Ostia, a competition which saw the Judo Kodokan Empoli team achieved a historic success by placing third. The team that obtained this very important bronze medal was made up of Alessio di Clemente (-66kg), Mattia Zollesi (-66kg) on loan from CUS Parma ASD, Giulio Manenti (-73kg), Gherardo Lippi (-73kg), Lorenzo Tosi (-81kg), Davide Parri (-81kg), Francesco Tosi (-90kg), Davide Graziosi (+90kg) on loan from Harmony Club, and the coach Alexander of Clement.
This success gives prestige to the sporting year of the Empoli club, adding to the recent individual achievements of Giulio Manenti with his silver medal in the Italian A2 Cup and of Gherardo Lippi with his bronze medal at the Italian Junior A2 Championships.
The sporting successes achieved during the year on the tatami by the athletes, both large and small, of the Kodokan Empoli are combined with the great commitment made in the area for social and voluntary purposes, with various activities that have involved the local community such as self-defence courses organized in schools, awareness initiatives against violence against women, including the most recent one on November 30th within the Empoli Coop Center. And last but not least, the now consolidated collaboration with the “Lilith Women’s Help Center – Women’s Anti-Violence Center”, which led to the organization of a judo tournament to be held on January 19th in Fucecchio, in which more than 600 children and small judokas, with the proceeds of the entire day will be donated to the Lilith Center for the pursuit of its institutional goals.
