The Cuban Star Feels at Home in Minas
Defending the colors of the club from Belo Horizonte for the second time, Asley Gonzalez is very happy to come to our the country again after his world title
No club but Minas Tennis Club took the opportunity to hire foreign athletes. The judo team from Belo Horizonte hired two world judo stars. Idalyz Ortiz will show her strength next week during the Intercontinental Women Grand Prix, to be held on 23rd and 24th in the SOGIPA gymnasium. Asley Gonzalez, the world middleweight champion in Rio 2013, has showed his technique during the most important club tournament from Brazil. The male GP is organized at Pinheiros gymnasium.
The first match the Miners took part in was against Osasco Yanaguimori (SP) and Asley did not have to participate. The fight against Stael Torres, from Judo Queiroz (PI) ended with the victory by ippon performed by Minas and their classification to the second round. Concerning the group that would decide who will be the two semifinalists, the first Asley’s fight was against André Luiz de Freita, from Jequiá/Umbra (RJ) and the first one won by ippon. Nacif Elias from the Reação Institute was the only one who was not defeated by the Cuban’s perfect stroke. But he lost by a yuko. The last Cuban’s fight on the GP first day ended with one more ippon on Raphael Magalhães from Sao Caetano.
\"I like to compete both individually and in teams. I feel like the people from Minas were my family. This is my second opportunity to fight for the Brazilian club and I feel very happy. I think they are as well. Minas wants to be champion, but I feel like I am already one, “said Asley.
Brazil is already related to the Cuban’s performance, but not just for the Grand Prix. It was in Rio de Janeiro that he won the middleweight world title in August this year. And Asley not hide the joy of being here.
\"I really like Brazil! I feel very happy because it was a dream to be the winner of the World Championship, \"Ashley added.
This Sunday, the semifinal will be played between Minas and Sogipa. The Cuban could fight against Eduardo Santos, Marcelo Ferreira Filho or Lucas Pascal.
\"The team has met our expectations because the competition is very demanding from the physical point of view. I am very happy to have fought at the Grand Prix for the first time, entering the completion in the semifinals. I hope that our performance keeps being successful so that we can overcome our opponents from Sunday, “said Geraldo Bernardes.
“Each athlete wants to overcome themselves in the team competition. That is why some of them end up committing mistakes. This observation is important and we should work on it during our trainings. In competition we know more every athlete. The other goal was observing new athletes that we summoned to the Selection Contest and we saw many of them having a very good performance. Watching them competing at this level of strong rivalry makes us learn a lot \"said Luiz Shinohara .
\"The SOGIPA is renewing itself, being composed of athletes who have never competed in a Grand Prix. Our today’s goal of getting into the semifinals has been reached. Now we have to eat and sleep well in order to get our energy back because the forthcoming challenges are even greater, \"said Renan Nunes, a heavyweight athlete, faced stronger opponents such as Rafael Silva from Pinheiros and Francinaldo Second from Judo Queiroz.
