The National Team Boards for the Grand Prix of Zagreb
Ten athletes will compete in Europe. Another part of the delegation is in Mexico to compete in the Pan-American Sports Festival.
The judo competition’s schedule is quite busy and that is why it is important to work with a large number of athletes. The high performance management of the Brazilian Judo Confederation has at least three athletes per category in order to stay on top in all the tournaments they take part in. At this moment, for example, there is a delegation with 14 athletes and three members of the coaching commission in Mexico for the Pan-American Sports Festival held on the 13th and 14th of September in Pachuca.
And on Tuesday, September 9th, another team flew to Croatia to compete in the Grand Prix of Zagreb. Brazil will be represented by Nathália Bridget (48kg), Raquel Siva (52kg), Katherine Campos (63kg), Nadia Merli (70kg), Maria Portela (70kg), Rochele Nunes (78kg +), Diego Santos (60kg), Marcelo Contini (73g), Hugo Pessanha (100kg) and Rafael Buzacarini (100kg).
"I hope to compete well and win; this way I will improve my Olympic ranking," said Maria Portela, who arrived on Wednesday from the week’s competition held in Russia where she participated in the World Team Judo Championship.
The competition in Croatia will gather 392 athletes from 50 countries. The technical committee is composed of the coaches Mário Sabino and Yuko Fujii and the physiotherapist Gláucio Paredes. The coach Fujii finds the competition special as it will be the first time she joins the national team abroad after the birth of her son, João, seven months old.
"I will miss my little João but I think it is important to be with the athletes. It will be a tough competition but they are well prepared and able to fight for medals in all categories, " said Yuko, who will stay a week away from her baby.
The delegation who went to Mexico consists of Eric Takabatake (60kg), Marcelo Fuzita (66kg), Eduardo Katsuhiro Barbosa (73kg), Vinicius Panini (81kg), Eduardo Bettoni (90kg), Renan Nunes (100kg), Walter Santos (+ 100kg), Gabriela Chibana (48kg), Eleudis Valentim (52kg), Manoella Costa (57kg), Erika Ferreira (63kg), Bárbara Timo (70kg), Samantha Soares (78kg) and Claudirene Cézar (78kg +). The coaching committee will be formed by Amadeu Moura, head of delegation, and the coaches Mario Tsutsui and Fulvio Miyata.
