Great day of judo at the Palagolfo in Follonica, with matches valid for the Tuscan Regional Championship in the Beginners category. Four tatamis welcomed athletes from all over the region in a very popular and heartfelt event.
The competition also featured the young athletes of ASD Sporting Club Albinia and ASD Athlon Grosseto, who stood out with excellent performances.
In the -73 kg category, Francesco Soldati of ASD Athlon Grosseto immediately stood out by winning the main matches, thus earning access to the final stages. Thanks to a determined and spirited path, Soldati closed the competition with a highly valuable third place, considering the high technical level of the participants in his category.
The athletes are accompanied on the tatami by the technical master Massimo Cappelli, for the Athlon Grosseto, where in the -81 kg category, the comparison between Leonardo Papalia of the ASD Sporting Club Albinia and Lorenzo De Rosa of the ASD Athlon Grosseto was one of the most exciting moments of the day. The two athletes, friends and training partners, faced each other again in a hard-fought match. Despite Papalia’s superior belt experience, De Rosa fought with great stubbornness, before giving in to a textbook ippon launched by the Sporting Club Albinia judoka.
After this victory, Leonardo Papalia continued his triumphant ride, imposing himself with authority in the subsequent matches and earning the gold medal thanks to an impeccable performance and excellent technical mastery.
No less important is the path of Lorenzo De Rosa, who was able to react with great character, winning the subsequent matches. Unfortunately, he had to give up in the decisive challenge for second place, thus ending the competition with a bitter third place.
The instructors Aveliano Bettolini of Sporting Club Albinia and Gilberto De Vecchis of Athlon Grosseto said they were satisfied with the performances of their athletes, underlining the commitment and technical growth demonstrated in such a high level competition.
A more than positive balance therefore for the Maremma clubs, who return from Follonica with excellent results and the awareness of having laid solid foundations for the future of their judokas.
