Brazil Wins the BRA Super Challenge by 4-1 against Colombia
Eric Takabatake (60kg), Alex Pombo (73kg), Maria Portela (70kg) and Eduardo Bettoni (90kg) scored for the host, while Yadinis Amaris (57kg) scored the Colombians‘ only point.
In another inspired day, the Brazilian national judo team won for the second time this year the BRA Super Challenge, on Monday, 22nd, in San Jose, Santa Catarina. The opponents from this edition were the Colombians who came with their senior team. In order to secure the title, the Brazilians won four matches against only one of the Colombians.
The extra-lightweight Eric Takabatake was the day’s first fighter to get a victory. In a balanced fight against John Futtinico, Takabatake suffered a punishment, being at disadvantage, but managed to make the opponent be punished twice, which ensured the victory to the Brazilian rookie in Super Challenges.
"It is a different competition, we fight just once and then we get all this wonderful support of the fans. It was a really cool participation, " the champion celebrated.
Colombia, however, rehearsed a reaction with Yadinis Amaris (57kg) who defeated Tamires Crude (57kg) by waza-ari in the Golden Score and leaving the confrontation tied until Alex Pombo (73kg) managed to apply the first ippon of the day on Christopher Franco and make Brazil get 2-1.
"It's always good to stay around this environment to show my work. And the best, always with a good performance. I think it was quite easy. I'm in great level of competition. Thank God, I got the victory," Pombo summarized.
The bottom line was drawn by the most experienced athlete of the delegation, the middleweight Maria Portela. Mastering the fight against Diana Velasco, Portela fit her favorite coup, the sode tsuri komigoshi, and again by ippon, giving thus the title to Brazil.
"I am used to make the decisive struggle, because in most of the disputes by teams the likely point of my weight is always like this," said the Gaucha athlete. "It feels good to be part of the challenges; we feel the fans’ adrenaline pushing and learn to manage not losing our focus during the fight. Therefore, the challenge is also a preparation for what we can experience in the Olympic Games at home in 2016. Besides showing the judo and spreading the sport, this kind of competition makes us better prepared to fight with the fans around as well. "
Closing the duel, also in the middleweight category (90kg) Eduardo Bettoni took no notice of his opponent, Pedro Castro, fitting the day’s third perfect blow that closed the positive scoring for Brazil by 4-1.
"I've been growing this season and improving my rhythm of competition. It was a good test for some things I have been training," Bettoni says.
This was the twentieth edition of the Super Challenge, which has been organized by the Brazilian Judo Confederation since 2006. For 2015 there are planned four fights against international teams that will be confirmed soon.
The selection’s next appointment are the Pan American Games in Toronto 2015, and due to this, the team travels on Wednesday, 23rd, to Mangaratiba, Costa Verde, Rio de Janeiro. There will be 10 days of concentration and preparation until they will board to Canada.
