Brazil Defeats Japan in the International Challenge

With victories brought by Rafael Silva, Eduardo Bettoni, Rafael Macedo and Charles Chibana, Brazil defeats Japan by 4-1. The event held at Bradesco Theatre in São Paulo impressed the audience.

A stage worthy of a great judo show. The beautiful Bradesco Theatre in São Paulo hosted one of the most traditional confrontations of the world judo: Brazil and Japan. With many supporters, broadcast by Globo TV and cameras showing the referees’ view, the Brazilians managed to overcome their Japanese counterparts by 4:1 thanks to the victories of Rafael Silva, Eduardo Bettoni, Rafael Macedo and Charles Chibana. Ryo Saito scored Japan’s point.

"It was a pretty cool competition. We're used to always fight in the gym, so competing in a theater was something unforgettable. The vibration of the audience made ​​a difference and this was reflected on the scoreboard. It is not easy to defeat Japan by 4-1, "said the current leader of the world rankings who ended the fight by defeating Jumpei Morishita, world champion in 2010.

The competition had a different format and started with the heavyweight fights. The bronze medalist at Chelyabinsk 2014 World Judo Championships and London 2012 Games, Rafael Silva had ​​a hard fight against Kenta Nishigata. The victory came in golden score, when the Japanese was punished because of a false attack.

"It was very different fighting in a theater. I felt the audience very close, as if they were on the same side of the mat. This was crucial because Japan is a very strong school and its athletes have several different blows." Baby said. "Now the training will be important for me because I will train together with a high level athlete," he added recalling that until next Wednesday, October 1st, the Brazilian athletes will be attending a training camp that will also include other athletes from the National Team as well as members of the Junior Team who will take part in the forthcoming World Junior Championships. The training sessions will be run in two periods - from 10am to noon and from 5pm to 7pm - on the old Futuro Project, in Ibirapuera Park.

The second fight was Eduardo Bettoni against Kensei Ikeda. With a beautiful ura-nage, the athlete from Paraná got an ippon. The young Rafael Macedo was the responsible for the Brazilian victory by scoring the third point. Called to represent Brazil at the World Junior Championships, Rafael defeated Yasuhiro Ebi for having a punishment less.

"I was pretty nervous. But I knew I had to grip first his kimono and win. I managed to control in the fight from the very beginning and I am very happy to have scored that point from Brazil, “Rafael Macedo said.

In his fourth fight, Alex Pombo started the fight well but in the end he eventually suffered an immobilization and was defeated by Ryo Saito by ippon. To end the confrontation in a successful way, Charles Chibana applied a beautiful ippon to Morishita.

The athletes who were called to the activities by the High Yield Magement were the following: Felipe Kitadai (60kg), Diego Santos (60kg), Eric Takabatake (60kg), Allan Kuwabara (60kg), Marcelo Contini (73kg), Gabriel Mendes (73kg), Marcos Seixas (73kg), Henrique Silva (90kg), Luciano Correa (100kg), Renan Nunes (100kg), Walter Santos (100kg +), David Moura (100kg +) and Ruan Isquierdo (100kg +).

The Brazilian athletes who will defend Brazil in the World Junior Championships are Luiz Cláudio Lima Junior (55kg), Vitor Carvalho (60kg), Ricardo Santos Junior (66kg), Gabriel Pinheiro (66kg), Lincoln Neves (73kg), Rafael Macedo (81kg ), Eduardo Santos (81kg), Thiago Chiodi (90kg), Gabriel Souza (100kg) and João Cesarino (100kg +). Regarding the women, the World Junior Championships will be attended by: Larissa Farias (44kg), Tawany Silva (48kg), Jessica Pereira (52kg), Tamires Crude Silva (57kg), Flavia Gomes (57kg), Danielle Karla Oliveira (63kg), Mariana Veiga (70kg), Sibilla Faccholli (78kg +) and Camila Gebara (78kg +).