After Massimo Mancini his sister Silvia, born in 1993, conquers the black belt. On the third try, Silvia Mancini reached the goal and finished in 7th place in the final of the 78 kg at the Italian Juniors Championships held Sunday, Feb. 24 at Andria. The girl faced with determination the competition and proved that a little more training probably would have allowed her to get on the podium. Unfortunately, she has trouble studying (she studies engineering at the University of Perugia together with his teammate Juri Medici) and she lives distant from Spello, in Terni: all this prevents her from attending the gym with more regularity.
Great satisfaction for the technician Giulio Famà who always believed in the ability of his athlete. "I have to thank, first of all my family - says the young judoka - who supported me, even economically and who followed me up to Andria to cheer for me. Secondly, I would like to thank all the guys of Spello, who helped me to face this difficult experience, and finally my teacher, Giulio Famà, to whom I am already very fond and who believed in me". A great start of the year, which in just two weeks has brought a wave of joy and success to the team of Spello: two black belts in the same family and a bronze medal, the one of Massimo (he may avail itself of the advice of the European champion, Francesco Lepre, black belt 6th Dan, head of the agonistic teams of Master Giuseppe Famà).
The spoils of Andria could have been even greater if the draws had not been that difficult for the samurais of Spello. In the first round, Michael Balzana won against the Sicilian Pappalardo, who won several times a medal at the Italian Championships, but then he lost against the neapolitan Di Loreto (European bronze medal). In the retrieval phase, Balzana lost against the titled athlete of Turin, Schiavina. Nothing to do for Giacomo Gramaccioni and Juri Medici, both out in the first round.