The German Team Takes Part in an Exchange Program at Pinheiros
After spending two weeks training at this sports club, athletes and coaches visited the Tiago Camilo’s social project.
It goes without saying that practicing judo in Brazil inspires many foreign countries. Much of this success is due to clubs. Further evidence of the country's role on the world sports stage has been given in recent weeks when a German team has been training at the dojo of Pinheiros Sports Club. There were five male athletes - Tom Gabriel Berg, Nicki Graczyk, Hamsat Isaev, Maxime Junghanel and Devin Waldenburg - and six female ones- Janina Beune, Denise Schmitz, Jacqueline Lisson, Tillmanns Julia, Julia Rotthoff and Rahel Krause -, led by the coaches Sebastian Heupp, Stefan Küppers, Marcel Markovic and Thomas Kessler.
During 11 days, that is from November 17th to 28th, the 11 judokas and four German coaches participated in the training with Pinheiros’s team, led by sensei Renato Dagnino and Raphael "Juquita" Silva. They stayed in the accommodation of Paulista Judo Federation, but used the club’s facilities for their meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), physical training in our Integrated Athlete Support Center (CIAA) and technical training in the dojo. At the end of the activities, there was a shiai (competition simulation) performed between the German and Brazilian judokas as a way of socializing.
On Saturday, the German team went to Tiago Camilo Institute in Paraisópolis, Eastern zone of São Paulo. According to Stefan Küppers, one of the team’s coaches, the next Brazilian medalists can come out from such king of trainings. The visitors gave some kimonos of the German National Team to some athletes the Institute. The travel of the German team in Brazil ends in Rio de Janeiro, where the athletes will not have sports commitments.
