Brazil Faces Argentina in the First Mixed International Judo Contest
The event will be held on May 31st and will be disputed by teams composed of two women and three men.
Next Saturday, May 31st, the Juscelino Kubitschek Arena from Minas Tennis Club, in Belo Horizonte, will be the stage of an unusual international judo contest. The dispute is between mixed teams, composed of two women and three men from Brazil and Argentina.
The fights will start at 01:00 pm and will feature Brazilian athletes known in the international environment. Hardly arrived from a 20-day training period in Japan, the world vice-champion from 2013 and the second placed in the world ranking, Erika Miranda (52kg), the Olympic medalist Ketleyn Quadros (57kg) and the current leader of the world ranking in the lightweight category Charles Chibana (66kg) are some of the Brazilian representatives from Saturday. Bruno Mendonça (73kg) and Gustavo Assis (81kg) complete the green and yellow team, who is led by the coach Mario Sabino.
The Argentinian delegation arrives in Brazil on Thursday, May 29th, with the athletes Andrea Cayun (52kg) and Paula Delfino (57kg), under the command of the coach Lorena Briceno, and with the athletes Martin Laureano (66kg), Francisco Cuneo (73kg) and Ivan Duarte (81kg), all of them being led by the coach Ariel Sganga.
The rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is present in all Brazilians’ life and the mats it would be no different, though it is not as tough as in soccer, of course. Anyway, Brazilian judokas do not want to give the Argentinians the taste of victory.
Gold-awarded at the Pan-American from last month, Erika Miranda is thrilled with the dispute. She, Ketleyn Quadros and Gustavo Assis will have one more reason to do well in this contest, since, besides fighting in Brazil, will be within their own club, the Minas Tennis Club.
"We feel as if it is the World Cup, but we, as judokas, we face the Argentinians. This will be an extra motivation to seek victory. Furthermore, I will still have the pleasure of fighting indoors, inside my club, "said the half middleweight judoka.
Charles Chibana was also a Pan American champion a month ago and he is prepared for one more battle. He has been doing really well lately, and since he has never participated in a contest of this kind, is excited.
"We always stay on the edge of the mat cheering for the men; in this case we will also cheer for the women who are in our team. It will be a new experience, a curious contest, and will be cool to be part of it, “the athlete said.
The event will be live broadcast by Sportv, starting from 01:00 pm.
