The Brazilian Judo Team Boards to Compete in Grand Prix of Almaty (KAZ)
The twelve-athlete delegation traveled this Tuesday morning.
The twelve athletes who will represent Brazil in Grand Prix from Almaty, Kazakhstan, boarded this Tuesday morning to the Eastern Europe. After a hard week of training, Raquel Silva (52kg , Institute Reação /RJ), Ketleyn Quadros (57kg , Minas / MG), Mariana Barros (63kg, Pinheiros/ SP), Mariana Silva (63kg, Minas/MG), Barbara Timo (70kg, Flamengo/RJ), Nadia Merli (70kg, Pinheiros/SP), Diego Santos ( 60kg Sogipa /RS) , Leandro Cunha (66kg, San Jose/SP) , Alex Pombo (73kg, Minas/MG), Eduardo Bettoni (90kg , Minas / MG ), Rafael Buzacarini ( 100kg , São Caetano / SP ) and David Moura ( +100 kg , Kodokan Cuiabá / MT ) compete in Sports Palace from September 28th to September 29th. After the competition, they will take part in a training camp and they will go to Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, for another edition of the Grand Prix.
\"The team is a very mixed one, gathering young and more experienced athletes. The competitions will be tough because they are organized by countries that are become more and more important on the international stage, but the Brazilians have all the conditions to score points for the world ranking, which is our main goal. For the younger judokas, this will be a very interesting experience, \"said Ney Wilson, BJC’s Performance Director.
The Grand Prix will distribute 300 points for the champions; 180 for the second prize and 120 for those who win the bronze. One of the team\'s youngest athletes seeking to improve his position in the ranking is Eduardo Bettoni. He is the only Brazilian representative in the middleweight category after Eduardo Santos got injured and he believes that Brazil is well prepared for the contest.
\"The expectations are very high. We have a very strong group, well prepared technically and physically speaking. I believe we have a good chance of bringing back some medals from the competitions. Each fight will be decided by a detail, and considering our dedication and our commitment, I\'m sure those details will be favorable for our team.\"
According to the official program of the Grand Prix of Almaty, on Saturday, September 28th, the women from the 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg categories and the men from the 60kg, 66kg and 73kg category will fight. On Sunday, September 29th, the judokas from the 70kg, 78kg, +78 kg categories and the athletes from the 81kg, 90kg, 100kg and +100 kg categories will step on the mat. The dispute for medals is scheduled at 17h00 (local time) at the Sports Palace.
